news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050712/pl_nm/bush_leak_dc
"Any individual who works here at the White House has the president's con fidence. They wouldn't be working here if they didn't have the president 's confidence," McClellan told reporters in answer to a question. McClellan had previously refused to say whether Bush still had confidence in Rove. The adviser, the architect of Bush's two presidential election wins, was reported earlier this week to have talked to at least one reporter about Plame's role at the CIA before she was identified in a newspaper column in July 2003. In September that year McClellan rejected as "ridiculous" any suggestion that Rove was involved in the Plame leak. The key questions went unanswered by the White House for a second straigh t day. So far this week, McClellan has told reporters 23 times that he w ould not comment because of the "ongoing investigation." In an Oval Office meeting with the pr ime minister of Singapore, Bush did not respond to a reporter's shouted question about whether he intended to dismiss Rove. Bush had pledged to dismiss any leakers in the case, which is being inves tigated by a special prosecutor. Plame's name was given to reporters and published in the media after her husband, US diplomat Joseph Wilson, publicly questioned assertions by the Bush administration about Iraq's weapons programs, cited as a reason for the 2003 invasion. REPUBLICANS RALLY ROUND Several prominent Republicans rallied around Rove after some Democrats in Congress called for him to be fired. Democrats have also urged Bush to sideline Rove by suspending his access to classified information. McClellan brushed aside the suggestion, saying: "There are a number of pe ople at the White House that have various levels of security clearance a nd I'm confident that those individuals have the appropriate security cl earance." "I don't want to do any thing to jeopardize the investigation," he said. He added: "And just bec ause I'm not commenting on a continuing investigation doesn't mean you s hould read anything into it beyond that." The White House came under increasing pressure this week to explain Rove' s role in the case after reports that Rove was one of the secret sources who spoke to Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper about Plame and her hus band. Rove's lawyer was quoted as saying his client did not mention Plam e by name. Faced with jail if he did not discuss his sources, Cooper agreed last wee k to testify in the investigation. New York Times reporter Judith Miller refused to testify about sources she spoke to on the story and was jail ed. "The White House's credibility is at issue here, and I believe very clear ly that Karl Rove ought to be fired," said Massachusetts Democratic Sen.
Republican National Committee , said Rove was a victim of a "political smear" by Kerry and other Democr ats. "You're seeing a partisan smear by the other side," he said. A top Senate Republican aide said, "I expect Rove to stay -- unless the s pecial prosecutor steps forward and says he did violate the law."
Top White House advisor Karl Rove is pictured during a speech to the Conservative Political Action conference in Washington in this February 17, 2005 file photo. President Bush kept quiet on Tuesday when asked whe ther he would fire Rove, who has come under a cloud over his involvement in a CIA leak scandal.
Republication or r edistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the pri or written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any error s or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon .
|
http://csua.com/feed/