Scooter Libby
The President attacked the Democrats on Veteran's day, singling out John Kerry by name in front of a pre-screened audience of supporters. Dan Bartlett then went on NewsHour and practically blamed Senator Edward Kennedy for everything that's wrong in Iraq and this country. (Perhaps Bartlett has forgotten that Veteran's Day has a very real meaning to the Senator.)
My question in all this distraction: How come nobody talks about Scooter Libby?
Scooter Libby resigned under indictment. He's been charged with five federal felonies that he obstructed justice and lied during an investigation of an issue that touched our national security. America hasn't really got a chance to know Libby; and now they want to take him off the radar?
Libby is more than a "liar" and a "leaker." When we talk about "stove-piping" and "manipulating" intelligence, Libby is right there by the side of the Vice President, accompanying him on Cheney's unprecedented meetings at CIA headquarters. Libby didn't just work for the Vice President either, as is popularly understood, he held three titles: Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President for national-security affairs, and Assistant to the President. He sat on the White House Iraq Group and attended meetings of Bush's war cabinet. Libby was at the heart of the Bush Administration.
Is Libby relevant to the question of whether Iraq WMD intelligence was hyped and manipulated in the run up to the war? Well, the person who prepared the intelligence briefing out of which Colin Powell prepared his 2003 United Nations speech was none other than I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby himself.
The President and his supporters want us to pretend that Scooter Libby, his indictments, and his resignation don't exist. They'd like to pretend that the manipulation of intelligence, and the manipulation of the American public through scare tactics and bullying is something we put behind us in November of 2004. Of course, bullies don't often quit...even when they should.
Sooner or later, the President is going to have to talk about Scooter Libby; the longer he waits, the less it will be on his own terms.
My question in all this distraction: How come nobody talks about Scooter Libby?
Scooter Libby resigned under indictment. He's been charged with five federal felonies that he obstructed justice and lied during an investigation of an issue that touched our national security. America hasn't really got a chance to know Libby; and now they want to take him off the radar?
Libby is more than a "liar" and a "leaker." When we talk about "stove-piping" and "manipulating" intelligence, Libby is right there by the side of the Vice President, accompanying him on Cheney's unprecedented meetings at CIA headquarters. Libby didn't just work for the Vice President either, as is popularly understood, he held three titles: Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President for national-security affairs, and Assistant to the President. He sat on the White House Iraq Group and attended meetings of Bush's war cabinet. Libby was at the heart of the Bush Administration.
Is Libby relevant to the question of whether Iraq WMD intelligence was hyped and manipulated in the run up to the war? Well, the person who prepared the intelligence briefing out of which Colin Powell prepared his 2003 United Nations speech was none other than I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby himself.
The President and his supporters want us to pretend that Scooter Libby, his indictments, and his resignation don't exist. They'd like to pretend that the manipulation of intelligence, and the manipulation of the American public through scare tactics and bullying is something we put behind us in November of 2004. Of course, bullies don't often quit...even when they should.
Sooner or later, the President is going to have to talk about Scooter Libby; the longer he waits, the less it will be on his own terms.
Comments
Aside - I watched the speech and for a pre-screened audience, I found the applause rather polite and less-than-enthusiastic.
Cheers.