re: turdblossom-- when is someone going to ask...

[mike_c]

...whether it's credible that Bush has not KNOWN from the beginning that Rove outed Plame, and if he has known, why has he not acted? I can only see three possible scenarios:

1) Bush asked who leaked Plame's name to journalists-- his WH has been under investigation, after all, and he has called for cooperation and resolution, so he likely asked the most likely targets of the investigation-- and Rove said "Me! I did it!"

2) Bush asked and Rove said "Not me, boss! I'd NEVER do such a thing!"

3) Bush didn't ask.

The first scenario makes Bush complicit in the cover-up, and we all know what effect getting caught covering up a felony tends to have on presidents. I hope the mods sincerely consider getting a "happy dance" smiley installed against that day.

The second scenario makes Rove a liar both up and down the chain of command, and frankly, I think it's highly unlikely to have gone down that way. Bush surrounds himself with toadies, and he would be outraged by a lie that makes him look bad. If possibility number two is true, I'd expect Bush to come down on Rove hard-- he's been betrayed. Also, Bush knew from the beginning that the leak had to come from the WH upper eschelons-- the fact that he's been so unconcerned about it also suggests that he has known who did it, or at least had a good idea, which brings us back to scenario #1.

Finally, the last scenario-- Bush didn't ask. This is possible, although the only justification for it is in support of a cover-up-- Bush isn't responsible for what happens if he "knows nutink." But that also links him to a cover-up, unless he can protest that he really just never thought to ask, or something similarly innocent. The problem with innocence is that it's also incompetent. Bush can ill afford to appear dimwitted-- ironically, it might be his only out.

Personally, I think #1 is the schiznit. So when is someone going to ask WHEN DID BUSH FIND OUT IT WAS ROVE, and what did he do in response?

[ScamUSA.Com]

1. Bush didn't ask, but only because he already knew

[mike_c]

2. so the essential question remains the same...

...how did Bush respond when he first knew that Rove was the leak? I mean, we all KNOW how he responded-- he did diddley-- but THAT'S the 64,000 dollar media question. Bush is really hanging out over the abyss on this one, and all it will take is getting that question into the collective media consciousness.

[ScamUSA.Com]

3. "I hope this doesn't catch up with ME" - Bush

[madmom]

4. I recall reading somewhere...

that it doesn't matter whether bush "knew" or not, he is responsible for anything anyone in his staff says or does. Anyone know anything about this?

[mike_c]

5. whether or not that's true isn't the issue, IMO...

...because that's a BLIND connection that separates Bush from the INTENT to cover-up what can most charitably be called dirty politics of Nixonian scale. Making him responsible because "the buck stops here" is a kind of shield from the uglier truth, IMO.