McClellan: White House still hiding details of CIA leak

[sabra]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former Bush spokesman Friday told a House committee investigating the leak of a CIA operative's identity that the White House is still concealing its involvement in the matter.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee believe Scott McClellan, who served as the president's press secretary before leaving the White House in 2006, would be able to provide valuable insight into the leaking of Valerie Plame Wilson's name as well as a number of issues that the committee is investigating.

"Back in 2005, I was prohibited from discussing it by the White House ostensibly because of the criminal investigation under way, but I made a commitment to share with the public what I knew as soon as possible. That commitment was one of the reasons I wrote my book," McClellan said in his opening statement.

"Unfortunately, this matter continues to be investigated by Congress because of what the White House has chosen to conceal from the public," McClellan said. "Despite assurances that the administration would discuss the matter once the Special Counsel had completed his work, the White House has sought to avoid public scrutiny and accountability."

Two senior administration officials tell CNN that the White House decided not to invoke executive privilege to stop McClellan's testimony because "there's nothing new."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/20/mcclellan.testimony/

[groovedaddy]

1. What does it take to IMPEACH these people!?!

Their conduct defies the whole notion of "rule of law." Just like the Telecom immunity bill - it's designed to forgive the fact that THEY BROKE THE LAW.
At least Kucinich has the balls to put it on record and ATTEMPT to hold these bastards accountable.
I guess Nancy also agrees that the law really doesn't matter.

[The Blue Flower]

2. It takes leadership that isn't tainted

The Democratic leadership has been complicit in illegal behavior, so they won't be doing any investigations that might implicate them.

[Jester Messiah]

5. Somebody besides Thabo Pelosi in the drivers seat. [nt]

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Congress should be able to extract the hidden details

[laststeamtrain]

4. AP: Former aide: Bush should tell all on CIA leak

Former aide: Bush should tell all on CIA leak

By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer 13 minutes ago

A former White House spokesman told Congress on Friday that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney wanted him to say that Cheney's chief of staff wasn't involved in the leak of a CIA operative's identity, an assertion that turned out to be false.

Scott McClellan, Bush's spokesman from 2003-2006, said he had reservations about publicly clearing the name of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff at the time. Later, Libby was convicted of obstructing the investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's CIA identity.

McClellan told the House Judiciary Committee that he doesn't know if a crime was committed. But he had harsh words for the White House, suggesting that the administration is continuing to cover up.

"This White House promised or assured the American people that at some point when this was behind us they would talk publicly about it," he said. "And they have refused to.

"And that's why I think more than any other reason we are here today and the suspicion still remains," McClellan told the panel.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080620/ap_on_go_co/cia_leak_probe