July 12, 2005

The WH's Cone of Silence

Bunnypants' aides put up a wall yesterday when questioned about revelations that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove had discussed the role of CIA official Valerie Plame with a reporter despite past White House assertions that he was not involved in her unmasking...

Whether a crime occurred remains the focus of special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, but the latest revelations also leave White House credibility at stake, given past statements by the president, McClellan and others.

- from the WaComPo.


White House stonewalls, lies about Rove scandal

Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, says that Rove did not mention Valerie Wilson's name to Cooper. But this is a rather thin defense... [Matt Cooper's] email is undeniable evidence that Rove leaked national security information to a journalist to discredit a critic (Joseph Wilson).

Bush has not said what he intends to do about Rove now that there is public evidence that Rove leaked information on Valerie Wilson.

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McClellan just stood there, counting the minutes, perhaps silently trying to convince himself that he was in his happy place and that he was not being beaten into a pulp.

After what transpired, no reporter should take McClellan's word at face value (if they ever did). Moreover, the larger issue is not his--and Bush's--credibility, but the wrongdoing committed by a senior White House official and the apparent lack of a response from the White House.

- David Corn.
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