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July 4, 2007 at 04:57:29
Bush Impeachment – Libby Commutation Makes it Imperative by Steven Leser Page 2 of 6 page(s) 
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7. March 19, 2003 – The Iraq war Begins 8. July 6, 2003 Wilson exposes the administration lies in a NY Times Article Joseph Wilson’s article "What I Didn't Find in Africa," appeared in the July 6, 2003 edition of the New York Times and directly accused the administration of lying to justify the Iraq war. 9. In the week following Wilson's article, the Bush Administration leaks Plame’s status as a covert CIA Agent to hurt her and her husband as retaliation for his article
Eight days after Wilson’s article, Robert Novak issues a response where he identified Mrs. Wilson, the wife of former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV, as "an agency operative on weapons of mass destruction" named "Valerie Plame." Novak is one of three reporters that get the information from administration officials in the previous week. Novak received his information from Richard Armitage, whereas Judith Miller and Time reporter Matthew Cooper admitted to having received that information from Libby. It is illegal, and a felony to reveal the name and/or status of a covert CIA agent. There was some initial controversy about Plame’s status (mostly put out by the conservative right in order to confuse the issue), but this was put to rest on March 16, 2007 when then CIA director General Michael Hayden testified the following to congress via a written statement:
On March 16, 2007, at these hearings about the disclosure, Chairman Henry Waxman read a statement about Plame's CIA career that had been cleared by CIA director Gen. Michael V. Hayden and the CIA:
- During her employment at the CIA, Ms. Wilson was under cover.
- Her employment status with the CIA was classified information prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958.
- At the time of the publication of Robert Novak's column on July 14, 2003, Ms. Wilson's CIA employment status was covert.
- This was classified information.
- Ms. Wilson served in senior management positions at the CIA, in which she oversaw the work of other CIA employees, and she attained the level of GS-14, step 6 under the federal pay scale.
- Ms. Wilson worked on some of the most sensitive and highly secretive matters handled by the CIA.
- Ms. Wilson served at various times overseas for the CIA.
- Without discussing the specifics of Ms. Wilson's classified work, it is accurate to say that she worked on the prevention of the development and use of weapons of mass destruction against the United States.
- In her various positions at the CIA, Ms. Wilson faced significant risks to her personal safety and her life.
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10. An investigation is undertaken to ascertain how and why Plame’s cover was blown.A special prosecutor is named (Patrick Fitzgerald), Subpoenas are handed out, and Libby is ultimately indicted of five counts and convicted of four. If you were ever wondering what it is that Libby was alleged and convicted of doing, here are Prosecutor Fitzgerald’s own words after obtaining the indictments (From transcripts of a press conference covered and printed by the Washington Post and others):
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Bush obstructed justice by commuting Libby's sentence and should be impeached for it
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Leaderless Democrats
By taking Impeachment “off the table,” Pelosi and Reid have forfeited their right to “leadership” of the Democratic party. Stopping the Cheney/Bush criminal regime in it’s tracks is imperative, and no other issue confronting America is greater than stopping the Almighty Republican Establishment’s national and international crime spree. "We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality--judiciously, as you will--we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors...and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." Quote by an anonymous Republican. That quote exactly describes the situation today, for tomorrow, and for the last six years. You can’t stop a national and international crime wave while allowing the criminals responsible for the crime wave free-reign to continue committing crimes. Republicans are burying us alive under a mountain of corruption that’s getting bigger every day. Demand that Pelosi and Reid step down and relinquish control of congress. They are either unable to understand that stopping a crime wave requires that you stop the criminals, or they are complicit in the corruption. Leaderless Democrats can’t win the 2008 presidential elections, and leaders who fail to lead won’t be reelected either. We “little” democrats might not be able to punish Republican criminals, but we damn sure can punish incompetent, or suspiciously enabling Democratic “leaders.” Impeach, or we’ll stay home on election day. It’s beginning to look that maybe the only way to crush the greater of two evils is to abandon the lesser evil. After that, Republicans will crash and burn a surely as the sun will rise tomorrow. No pain, no gain. . by rabblerowzer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 227 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 at 8:21:14 AM  (0+)
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CIA
You say "Plame’s current role in the CIA is “an agency operative assigned to investigate Weapons of Mass Destruction”" -- this might be rooted in what Novak reported. You also say "Ms. Wilson served in senior management positions at the CIA, in which she oversaw the work of other CIA employees, and she attained the level of GS-14, step 6 under the federal pay scale.", quoting Waxman. I've heard some saying Plame was not an "operative" or "agent", but a CIA officer -- senior management, in charge of operations -- and that this is an important distinction. Apparantly, in the CIA, there are distinctions made between officer, operative, agent, or asset -- and calling Plame an operative may be a way of trying to minimize the importance of outing her and the damage done. She also worked under 'unofficial cover', meaning she did not have a diplomatic passport and no diplomatic protection if she was caught: this was a very secret operation, with secrecy being critical for the safety of those involved in it. It was not just Plame, but the front company and the operation which was exposed, as well as other working in that project, and foreign assets (spies) as well -- whose lives may have been jeopardized. In fact even those innocently associated with the company could have been in danger. In other words, this was a *major* breach of national security and intelligence which should not be allowed to be minimized. Additionally, the fact that an intelligence operation and personel were exposed by the US government creates a chill on all intelligence operations, and the recruitment of new employees: would you want to work for the agency knowing you could be casually outed by your own government for crass political purposes? If you were a foreign national would you be inclined to trust any American or American company, or anyone who approached you asking that you secretly cooperate in an intelligence operation? This was a major blow to all US intelligence. This is what people who worked for intelligence have said. by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 at 8:53:15 AM (0+)
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If the Democrats refuse to impeach, they are co-conspirators
and also guilty of obstructing justice. There are 2 levels of serious crimes here. The smaller is Libby's lying to FBI agents & the grand jury. But the greater by far is how Libby's narrowly-defined obstruction of justice fit into the Bush admin's overall scheme for lying the country into a monstrously unjust war. Libby's participation in outing Plame was part of the admin's attempt to revenge itself on Joe Wilson, who had exposed some of the Bush administration's pre-war lies. If the Democrats in Congress allow the commuting of Libby's sentence to pass unchallenged, they are saying, in effect, that even if a president lies the country into war, then punishes a respectable citizen (Wilson) for telling the truth, by destroying the career of his CIA-employed wife (itself a violation of a 1982 law), that this behavior is "OK." If the Democrats would not take a stand against that kind of administration behavior, one can only wonder what they would take a stand against. To fail to try to impeach, here, is to say, "We don't care how criminal a US administration is -- they can do whatever they want, and we won't lift a finger to stop them." As over-the-top as the lawlessness of the Bush regime is, in this case, Democrats' pathetic acceptance of it must be seen as part of the same lawlessness. by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1552 comments [255 recommended, 5 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 at 11:53:41 AM (0+)
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Reply: Not quite, but I am closer to you on this than on other
disagreements we have. Prosecutors who choose not to prosecute may do so for a number of reasons that have nothing to do with collusion. That said, I will be looking closely to see exactly what happens here. by Steven Leser (255 articles, 58 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 2147 comments [63 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 at 12:04:12 PM (0+)
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Cindy in NOT amused!
Information clearinghouse from common dreams Call Out The Instigator by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Wednesday, Jul 4, 2007 at 4:34:02 PM (0+)
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"Bush Impeachment-Libby Commutation Makes It Imperative"
You are right, but I have my doubts whether this will create the stir to finally make Congress take action and impeach Bush and Cheney. So much has happened the War, wiretapping, monitoring our e-mails, torture, kidnapping, detention and torture camps all over the world, and there is much more. I am fearful that it will take an arranged terriorist attack by Bush and Cheney. They will then declare martial law. I hope not, but the commuting of Libby's sentence, really shows they could give a dam and could very well do the unthinkable! by Diane_B (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 26 comments) on Thursday, Jul 5, 2007 at 2:39:45 AM (0+)
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Bravo, Mr. Leser
We not always agree but here and now it was a pleasure to read and agree. A voice of the free man is a voice of the free man and no matter what darkness we face, the clear mind of a free man shines from the article. Thanks, Mr, Leser I can live with your sympathy to Dems:) by Mark Sashine (72 articles, 19 quicklinks, 269 diaries, 4101 comments [130 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 5, 2007 at 8:00:55 AM (0+)
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Reply: Thank you sir!
Please check out the one I wrote today as a followup! by Steven Leser (255 articles, 58 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 2147 comments [63 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Thursday, Jul 5, 2007 at 3:34:25 PM (0+)
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