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| 2005/7/12-13 [Politics/Domestic/President/Bush, Politics/Domestic/911] UID:38567 Activity:high |
7/12 Today's White House press briefing
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050712-4.html
"Let's let the investigation take place, and let's let the
investigators bring all the facts together and draw the conclusions
that they draw, and then we will know the facts at that point."
Translation: Dubya buys time for Roveian general to execute on GOP
plans, with expectation that Rove will come out fine anyway since the
base doesn't really care.
In case you didn't figure it out yet: Dubya's current and future
position is he will only be firing people for illegal acts with
convictions, not for merely being "involved" in the Plame affair as
a previously reported position.
\_ I call flip-flop on them!
\_ From http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030929-7.html
(My quotes are going to be partial for emphasis. See the page above
for the full context.)
Q: has the President tried to find out who outed the CIA agent?
...
McClellan: if someone leaked classified information of this nature..
...
McClellan: the President believes leaking classified information is
a very serious matter
It's fairly clear that McClellan was saying that anoyone in the WH
who leaked classified info would be gone. It doesn't appear that
Rove did that.
\_ Why would you say that it doesn't appear that Rove didn't leak
\_ Why would you say that it doesn't appear that Rove leaked
classified info?
\_ Because saying "You know the reason he got that job is because
his wife is in the CIA" may not have revealed classified info.
\_ But that isn't what he said. He said his wife was a
CIA operative. Pretty clear cut what that means.
\_ Because the CIA is in the habit of calling for
investigations by the DoJ just because...
\_ that sounds like a leak of classified info to me.
I guess it depends on what the meanings of "leak" and
"classified" are.
"I did not leak classified info to that man, Mr. Cooper!"
\_ Is being in the employ of the CIA classified?
\_ When it is, yes. You're deliberately being obtuse.
\_ huh?
\_ When the person's affiliation needs to be
secret, it's classified. You're an idiot.
The CIA requested an independent investigation. It's
been ongoing for 2 years. if there was no there there
don't you think it would have been wrapped up with a
bow by now.
\_ I'm not being obtuse, you're being a dumbass.
We'll find out at the END of the investigation if
he violated the law. If he did, he should be out
of there. If he didn't, shut the fuck up.
\_ Yawn. The man's guilty. This is just what he's
been caught at. I say hang 'im.
\_ The END of the investigation... in 2010? 2020?
\_ Uh, I hate to be a nancy about this, but you
should write, "If he did, I should shut the
fuck up. If he didn't, you should shut the
fuck up." Are you an undergrad?
\_ Actually, no. I'm no lefty partisan, but I
also don't want someone who would leak
classified info in the WH. So if he's found
to be guilty, I'll join the chorus demanding
that he be fired.
\_...but until then, Shut the Fuck Up?
\_ Yeah, let's all stfu until the
investigation is over.
\_ Can't we complain about the
previous pronouncements that Rove
had nothing to do with the Plame
affair, and that it was ridiculous
to suggest that?
\_ He never said he had nothing to
do with it. Just that it was
a ridiculous suggestion. Maybe
he means the whole situation is
worthy of ridicule. |
| 1/20 |
|
| www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/07/20050712-4.html The President had a good visit this mornin g with four leaders of the Senate on the Supreme Court nomination proces s It was a good bipartisan discussion that the President had with Senat ors Specter and Leahy, and Senators Frist and Reid. The President talked about the importance of moving forward in a dignified and civilized way during the nomination process. Today's meeting underscores the Presiden t's commitment to consulting closely with members of the Senate. The con sultative process is an important part of the nomination process, and th e President takes his responsibility very seriously. The President spent a good bit of time visiting with the senators about t he timing of moving forward on the hearings for a potential nominee. The President continues to visit with members of his senior staff and look over the backgrounds and rulings of potential nominees, and he looks for ward to continuing to consult with members of the Senate. He wants to he ar their views and their ideas as we move forward, and I think the consu ltations, you can expect, will continue even after he makes his decision and makes his nominee known. we've consulted with mo re than half the Democratic Caucus; we continue to reach out to others, and this process is something that continues. Secondly, this afternoon the President looks forward to welcoming some bi partisan leaders to talk about passing comprehensive energy legislation. The House and the Senate have both moved forward on comprehensive energ y legislation that will reduce our dependence on foreign sources of ener gy. And so the President will have the bipartisan leaders from the energ y committees, as well as the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Com mittee over this afternoon to talk about the importance of moving forwar d and resolving remaining differences and getting this to his desk by th e August recess. This is a high priority for the President of the United States. We have an unemployment rate that is now at its lowest since September of 2001, at 5 percent. B ut there's more we need to do to continue to keep our economy strong. But we also need to address the root causes of high e nergy prices, and four years is long enough. We are long overdue in acti ng on energy legislation, and so the President looks forward to discussi ng with these leaders how we can move forward and get this done quickly. The President and Mrs Bush wil l welcome President Uribe of Colombia and Mrs Uribe to their ranch in C rawford, Texas, on August 4th. The President looks forward to continuing his dialogue with President Uribe on our shared efforts to protect and promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law, fight terrorism and drug trafficking, and promote prosperity through economic growth and op portunity. Q Scott, in the wake of this meeting this morning, is he willing to consi der expanding the number of candidates for the Supreme Court? He's alrea dy looking at more than a half a dozen choices. Is there a consensus can didate among these choices, or is he going to expand the number of candi dates? MR McCLELLAN: Well, I don't want to rule things in or out. The President has expressed publicly that over the course of the next few weeks -- he said this last week, actually -- that he would narrow that list down an d focus on a handful of potential nominees. At that point, he would look forward to sitting down and visiting with those potential nominees. The President takes his constitutional responsibility seriously. And that's why he is going through a thorough and deliberate process as we move forward. the White House is consulting with members o f the Senate; the President is visiting with his key advisors as we move forward to discuss potential nominees and their rulings and their backg rounds. The President wants to see someone appointed of high integrity, of high intellect, someone who will faithfully interpret our Constitutio n and our laws, and not try and make law from the bench. He's going to look at a diverse group of individuals -- he is looking at a diverse group of individuals, and when he has more t o say on it, then he will do so at that point. Q Scott, some Democrats are calling for the revocation of Karl Rove's sec urity clearance. MR McCLELLAN: John, I think there's a lot of discussion that's going on in the context of an ongoing investigation. This is based on some news r eports that came out recently. I think you heard me talk about the impor tance of helping this investigation move forward. I don't think it's hel pful for me from this podium to get into discussing what is an ongoing i nvestigation. I think it's most helpful for me to not comment while that investigation continues. And these are all issues that some are trying to raise in the context of news reports. I don't think we should be prej udging the outcome of any investigation at this point. Q But the issues of security clearance and criminal investigations are of ten on very separate tracks. So does the President see any reason, any n ecessity, at least in the interim, to revoke Karl Rove's security cleara nce? MR McCLELLAN: John, the President -- first of all, let me back up -- som e of you asked a couple of questions about does the President still have confidence in particular individuals, specifically Karl Rove. I don't w ant to get into commenting on things in the context of an ongoing invest igation. So let me step back and point out that any individual who works here at the White House has the confidence of the President. They would n't be working here at the White House if they didn't have the President 's confidence. And in terms of security clearances, there are a number o f people at the White House that have various levels of security clearan ce. And I'm confident that those individuals have the appropriate securi ty clearance. I haven't gone around looking at what those security clear ances are. Q But, Scott, are you suggesting -- I think it's pretty clear to everybod y at this point you don't want to comment on the investigation. But the President has also spoken about this when asked. Q Well, he has spoken about these questions that have come up as part of a leak investigation. So does he retain confidence in Karl Rove, specifi cally? Any individual who works here at the White House has the President's confidence. They wouldn't be working here if they didn't have the President's confidence. That's why I stepped back from this an d talked about it in the broader context. Now, these questions are coming up in the context of an ongoing investiga tion, and I stated long ago, you all will remember, that the investigati on is continuing, I want to be helpful to the investigation, I don't wan t to jeopardize anything in that investigation, and that's why I made a decision and the White House made a decision quite some time ago that we weren't going to get into commenting on questions related to that inves tigation. Q But isn't the difficulty that you have said to the public, dating back to 2003, affirmatively, Karl Rove is not involved, and now we have evide nce to the contrary? MR McCLELLAN: Again, if I were to get into discussing this, I would be g etting into discussing an investigation that continues and could be prej udging the outcome of the investigation. After that point, I also remember goin g and testifying in this investigation. I remember well individuals who are involved overseeing this investigation expressing their preference p ersonally to me that we not get into discussing what is an ongoing inves tigation. I think that's the way to be most helpful as they move forward , and that's why I'm in the position that I am. I'm not going to get int o jumping on every news report as the investigation continues and trying to comment on them, because I don't think that's helpful. So I think you have to step back from any individual news story or indivi dual reports. I look forward to talking about some of these matters once the investigation is complete. I welcome the opportunity to talk about some of these questions, but I d on't think it's appropriate to do so at this time. Q Let's just -- just one fina... |
| www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030929-7.html War authorization 12:18 PM EDT MR McCLELLAN: Good afternoon. This afternoon the President will welcome and congratulate the 2003 Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils to the White House. Later this afternoon, the President looks forward to meetin g with congregational rabbis. This is the Jewish high holy days, and it is a time for prayer and reflection in the Jewish community. Today's mee ting is part of the President's ongoing commitment to reaching out to fa ith-based leaders who make our nation stronger. And then, following that meeting, the President looks forward to signing the Do Not Call legislation, which affirms the FTC's authority to mainta in the Do Not Call Registry. This action, combined with the FCC's announ cement earlier today that they will enforce the Do Not Call rules, is a victory for the millions of Americans who have registered some 50 millio n phone numbers on the registry. Americans have the right to reduce the number of unwanted solicitations they receive. The Do Not Call Registry is a valuable way for them to stop the nuisance of annoying calls. And with that, I will be glad to jump right into questions. Q Scott, has anyone -- has the President tried to find out who outed the CIA agent? MR McCLELLAN: Well, Helen, that's assuming a lot of things. First of all , that is not the way this White House operates. The President expects e veryone in his administration to adhere to the highest standards of cond uct. Secondly, there -- I 've seen the anonymous media reports, and if I could find out who "anony mous" was, it would make my life a whole lot easier. MR McCLELLAN: But we've made it very clear that anyone -- anyone -- who has information relating to this should report that information to the D epartment of Justice. MR McCLELLAN: Well, there's been no information that has been brought to our attention, beyond what we've seen in the media reports, to suggest White House involvement. Q Will the President move aggressively to see if such a transgression has occurred in the White House? Will he ask top White House officials to s ign statements saying that they did not give the information? MR McCLELLAN: Bill, if someone leaked classified information of this nat ure, the appropriate agency to look into it would be the Department of J ustice. So the Department of Justice is the one that would look in matte rs like this. Q You're saying the White House won't take a proactive role? MR McCLELLAN: Do you have any specific information to bring to my attent ion suggesting White House involvement? Q Would you not want to know whether someone had leaked information of th is kind? MR McCLELLAN: The President has been -- I spoke for him earlier today -- the President believes leaking classified information is a very serious matter. And it should be -- Q So why doesn't he want -- MR McCLELLAN: -- pursued to the fullest extent -- Q Right, so why -- MR McCLELLAN: -- by the appropriate agency. And the appropriate agency i s the Department of Justice. Q Why wouldn't he proactively do that, ask people on the staff to say tha t they had not leaked anything? MR McCLELLAN: Do you have specific information to suggest White House in volvement? I saw a media report that said "senior administration officia ls." That's an anonymous source that could include a lot of people. I've seen a lot of "senior administration officials" in media stories. Q Scott, when you say that it should be pursued by the Justice Department -- Justice has not said whether it actually is conducting an investigat ion. Does the President want the Justice Department to investigate this matter? MR McCLELLAN: If someone leaked classified information of the nature tha t has been reported, absolutely, the President would want it to be looke d into. And the Justice Department would be the appropriate agency to do so. MR McCLELLAN: That's a question you need to ask the Department of Justic e My understanding is that if something like this happened and it was r eferred to the Department of Justice, then the Department of Justice wou ld look to see whether or not there is enough information to pursue it f urther. But those are questions you need to ask the Department of Justic e Q But, Scott, something like this did happen, right? Bob Novak had inform ation he should not have had, that he was not authorized to have. So som ething -- MR McCLELLAN: Terry, all I can tell you is what I've seen in the media r eports. And I've seen different statements in the media reports from, th e CIA hasn't confirmed or denied that this was a covert agent for the CI A; I've seen media reports to suggest that it was referred to the Depart ment of Justice, and that -- and comments the Department of Justice woul d look into it. Q So the President of the United States doesn't know whether or not this classified information was divulged, and he is only getting his informat ion by reading the media? Q He does not know whether or not the classified information was divulged here, and he's only getting his information from the media? MR McCLELLAN: No, we don't know -- we don't have any information that's been brought to our attention beyond what we've seen in the media report s I've made that clear. You said this morning, "The President knows" that Karl Rove wasn't involved. MR McCLELLAN: Well, I've made it very clear that it was a ridiculous sug gestion in the first place. I saw some comments this morning from the pe rson who made that suggestion, backing away from that. And I have spoken with Karl Rove -- Q But how does -- MR McCLELLAN: I'm not going to get into conversations that the President has with advisors or staff or anything of that nature; Q But the President has a factual basis for knowing that Karl Rove -- MR McCLELLAN: I said it publicly. I said that -- Q But I'm not asking what you said, I'm asking if the President has a fac tual basis for saying -- for your statement that he knows Karl Rove -- MR McCLELLAN: He's aware of what I've said, that there is simply no trut h to that suggestion. Q Does he know whether or not the Vice President's Chief of Staff, Lewis Libby -- MR McCLELLAN: If you have any specific information to bring to my attent ion -- like I said, there has been nothing that's been brought to our at tention. You asked me earlier if we were looking into it, there is nothi ng that's been brought to our attention beyond the media reports. But if someone did something like this, it needs to be looked at by the Depart ment of Justice, they're the appropriate agency charged with looking int o matters like this -- Q Well, you do know that they are looking at it, don't you? MR McCLELLAN: -- and so they're the ones that should do that. Q But, Scott, it gets to the question if you know, if the President knows that Karl Rove was not involved, then maybe you can tell us more about what the President specifically is doing to get to the bottom of this, o r what has he ordered to be done within the White House to get to the bo ttom of this? MR McCLELLAN: The President wants anyone, anyone who has information rel ating to this to report that information to the appropriate agency, the Department of Justice. That's what the President wants, and I've been ve ry clear about that. Q Is the President convinced that there was no White House involvement in this? MR McCLELLAN: Well, if I could get "anonymous" to 'fess up, that would m ake my life a whole lot easier. MR McCLELLAN: But there has been nothing -- there has been absolutely -- Q Does the President -- MR McCLELLAN: I'm answering that. Q Scott, does he know -- is he convinced that no one in the White House w as involved with this? MR McCLELLAN: There has been absolutely nothing brought to our attention to suggest any White House involvement. The media reports cite "senior administration official, " or "senior administration officials." That's why it's a ppropriate for the Department of Justice, if something like this happene d, to look into it. Q Those media reports are wrong, as far as the White House is concerned? MR McCLELLAN: Well, we have nothing beyond those media reports to sugges t there is White House involvement. MR McCLELLAN: Ther... |