Capitol Hill Blue (Thursday): Cheney Faces Criminal Indictments

[Jack Rabbit]

From Capitol Hill Blue (Washington)
Dated Thursday July 8

Cheney Faces Criminal Indictments; Other Illegal Actions Raise Warning Flags at White House
By Teresa Hampton
Editor, Capitol Hill Blue

Vice President Dick Cheney faces criminal indictments for illegal activities while CEO of energy giant Halliburton and also illegally intervened to secure a $7 billion no-bid contract for his former employer after his election to office, an analysis by the White House counsel’s office concludes.
The Vice President is currently under investigation by French authorities for bribery, money laundering and misuse of corporate assets while at Halliburton and also faces a U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission probe of a $180 million "slush fund" that may have been used to pay bribes.
Although the White House Counsel analysis is not available to the public because of the secrecy of “attorney-client privilege,” it has generated speculation among senior White House aides who suggest the Vice President should step down as President George W. Bush’s running mate for the November Presidential elections. Such talk has increased in GOP circles lately with former New York Senator Alfonse D'Amato Wednesday calling on Bush to dump Cheney.
Those who have read the analysis say it presents a “devastating” case against the Vice President and concludes Cheney has violated both the “spirit and intent” of federal laws on conflict of interest.

Read more.

To whet your morning appetite.

[Coventina]

1. iwillnotgetexcitediwillnotgetexcitediwillnotgetexcited.....

I can't afford to be excited about this.....I've been disappointed too many times already.

But still, stories like this make my heart smile.

[phillybri]

2. Perfect reason to dump Cheney and pick Giuliani or McCain...

...this could end up backfiring on us...

[rooboy]

Exactly how does an indicted vice president...

shore up votes for the Republican party? McCain won't work because he's been associated with the Democrats and Guliani is an 'adulterer'.

Dick in jail will at least save a few lives.

[keithyboy]

6. Wait until you see what in in Giuliani's past. and 'family values'

McCain is the answer for Bush the way they treated him in the past will come back to haunt them.

[AlinPA]

15. To me, it looks like Bush*-Powell.

[leesa]

16. Isn't the point to bring a criminal to justice?

[Athame]

3. two words

MARTHA STEWART!!

:kick:

[Mandate My Ass]

4. Oh my!!!

French Judge Ruymbeke, however, is said to be offering Stanley a deal if he implicates Cheney and sources within the French legal system say the judge has more than enough to indict the Vice President on charges of bribery, money laundering and misuse of corporate assets.

The assessment of the White House counsel’s office agrees that Cheney faces “serious legal implications” from the pending French indictments and add that the Vice President’s illegal and unethical lobbying on behalf of Halliburton for the no-bid contract “raises additional questions.”

Cheney, however, is standing firm and recently told Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont to “fuck off” when the Senator questioned him on the Halliburton matters.

According to White House sources, President George W. Bush laughed the matter off at a recent cabinet meeting.

“Fuck ‘em all,” Bush said.

[splat]

11. Spiro Agnew

Spiro Agnew resigned as Richard Nixon's VP Oct. 10, 1973 after it was announced he was being investigated for extortion, bribery and income-tax violations while governor of Maryland.

That's how we got Gerald Ford -- Nixon appointed the House minority leader to replace Agnew.

Found guilty of incorrectly filling in his income-tax returns, Agnew was fined $10,000 and sentenced to three years probation.

If the '60s are upon us again, here we go.

Bill Frist?

[Sporadicus]

5. I Was Unfamiliar With 'Capitol Hill Blue' Before Coming to DU

It was when they published the article about * losin' it that I made their acquaintance. Some comments about CHB implied that it was a RW site, but with articles like this one and the one I mentioned, is it really so RW? Have they changed their stance after sensing a sea change in the mood of the nation? :shrug:

I don't have the time to investigate every website in detail, so I would appreciate some insight from people with greater familiarity with the site. Thanks in advance.

[Ripley]

7. Take it with a grain of salt...

The majority of their sources are "anonymous" and they sometimes :eyes: go over the top.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. That's good advice

Nevertheless, there really is an criminal investigation in France that seems to have the goods on Cheney and the SEC is also looking into it.

Criminal indictments are not implausible.

Bear in mind that Cheney is also in trouble over the Plame outing, although the indictments there may stop with his aides (too bad!).

[Ripley]

13. Oh yes, it is plausible.

But they'll bomb France before they let them thar queer frogs bring down such a great American.

[Mixxster]

8. My impression of the comments I've read on DU regarding CHB...

is more that's it unreliable, rather than right wing.

[PCIntern]

9. Maybe * can get away with

the fact that he never really met Cheney except at a fundraiser for about two minutes...

"Dick...Dick who? Oh yes...I recall meeting him on one or two occasions. Nuthin' much was said except about the weather or sumpn."

[the Kelly Gang]

10. oh please..if there is a God, now is the time for him to come forward

[napi21]

17. NO NO, not NOW! Wait until mid to late October!

I don't want the Pubs to have time to change ballot names, or trot out any replacements for this nut case! July is way too soon for this to happen.

[lil-petunia]

14. not now,

but in about 6 weeks from now.

Timing is everything, and time's awasting before the election.

My heaven?

Plame indictments next week. Rove does the perp walk.
Uproar raised from 9/11 commission report in August. (normally a dead month for news)
Shrub loses it during another press conference in late August
Cheney indicted in September
McCain sees the writing and indictments on the wall, sez no to feckless leader.
Resignations from Justice and WH staffers in October
Appellate court rules Cheney's privilege not more powerful than suit seeking energy records
Supremes deny cert
November 2 rolls around.
Freepers go to the polls on November 3, because of DU's disinformation campaign, telling them the voting date has been moved.

[sidpleasant]

20. I'm not convinced that we'll see the 9/11 report until mid - November

I recall reading somewhere that the White House said that the 9/11 Commission's report will have to reviewed and "sensitive" portions concerning intelligence gathering etc. redacted before the report can be released to the public. Remember the missing pages from the Senate 9/11 report? I expect the review of the report will take at least 3 1/2 months.

[IndianaGreen]

18. Like we say in Puerto Rico: Adios, pato!

This is the most criminal government that this nation has ever had. Bush and Cheney should really be tried to war crimes and crimes against humanity at The Hague, but I will settle for a simple felony conviction in the US for blowing Valerie Plame's CIA cover.

The French indictment is really interesting because it involves bribes. What a site it would be to see Bush refusing to extradite Cheney to France!

[LizW]

19. The attitude of Bush/Cheney toward anyone who would have them obey

the law:

"Fuck 'em all," Bush said."

:eyes:

[Moderator]

21. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x671702