So Cheney and B** decide what to de-classify? That's Libby's ticket

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Last night on Hardball, Mathews brought up the point that Brit Hume got Cheney to admit that by executive order, he and DimSon, have the authority to declassify documents.

So, what the hell is supposed to keep them from picking and chosing what is going to be declassified in the Libby trial, or in their own defense, for that matter?

I wonder if there is any action to change this travesty?

[fearnobush]

1. More intel leaks.

It about the only way for the truth to come out.

[fasttense]

2. So why did Fitzgerald say during his press conference

that Plame's identity was classified at the time of the leak? Seems to me this is just a lie by Cheney to hide his complicity. Fitzgerald is nothing if not very careful about what he says and he never even implied that Palme's identity was not classified.

So if Cheney had really declassified her identity at the time it was leaked, why didn't he just tell Fitz, Bush or the AG and end the investigation?

[stop the bleeding]

6. good points n/t

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. You know I bet this is tied to the comment that Rove made to

Matt Cooper. Remember when he said something like, be patient, there will be declassified info coming soon?

You are right, maybe he had "declassify plame" on his calendar for Tuesday but he decided to go hunting that day.

[mzmolly]

3. And he didn't share this immediately/openly because???

:shrug:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. who? Fitz or cheney?

[mzmolly]

17. Cheney. He could have cleared up the matter without putting

anyone in jeopardy if what he claims is true. Instead Rove, Libby and others might do jail time.

I guess "I'm not buyin what he's sellin."

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. You are right. Guess it didn't hit his devious mind until it was too late

[Richard Steele]

4. It is no ticket if they DID NOT declassify it.

Formally and officially declassifying information
is a very different from telling your aide to blab
info which is STILL CLASSIFIED.

This particular Repub spin is offered only to keep the freeper base ranting;
it has ZERO relevance to the crimes which were comitted.

[stop the bleeding]

5. yep, I don't know how there could be accountability if you took the

spin side of things.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. not talking about the spin here, fwiw. I am saying that Cheney

can control derogatory information against Libby and himself, by just deeming it classified and refusing to declassify. Say there was a PDB, that proved they were all plotting to out her. All Cheney has to do is keep it classified. Gross conflict of interest is an understatement.

What has happened though, in some cases, Fitz has gotten his hands on some of this material. I don't know how. Whistleblower, I guess.

[yodermon]

10. Unitary executive power

here is where this will come in to play, and why Scalito is on the SC.

The argument will be that as Chief Executive of the United States, shrub was de facto authorized to reveal classified information, namely Valerie Plame Wilson's employment at the CIA and/or her covert status.

This will be argued before the SC and Scalito will concur.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. You are right. What I was referring to is not about the crime of

leaking classified info. I was thinking on the lines of if there was detrimental info on Libby, in a classified doc, Cheney could just declare it not to be unclassified. For that matter, he could do it to protect himself as well. Or, for that matter to protect bfee on any legal matter. There should be an out for recusal - but we'll be old and gray before that happens.

[Richard Steele]

16. Yes, you are right that they will use it in despicable, illegal ways.

Look at the Siebel Edmonds case: She became a problem for them,
so they just 'classified' everything she was trying to say.

Legally, she is prohibited from even telling anyone
which languages she speaks- because that info is "classified".

[Peachhead22]

7. Shades of TrickyDick

Cheney: "If the Vice President does it, it isn't a crime."

[Johonny]

8. But it doesn't explain anything

If they did that why has their been an investigation? Why are they wasting American tax dollars? Why was political revenge more important than national security? This might be a fine legal defense, but I think is a democratic dream come true for pushing impeachment as THE topic for the 2006 elections. Vote for us we will impeach these criminals that put party before America.

[GregD]

9. declassifying documents

When this story came out last week, someone posted a note that declassifying documents requires a specific process. It was proposed in that note that only Bush can do that, and that he has not followed such a procedure.

Has anything come out to indicate that this declassification procedure has since been revealed to have been followed?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. I don't know. All I know, and I should look for a transcript, is that

Cheney said that by executive order HE and DimSon have the power to classify or declassify which, as I have said, is a gross conflict of interest, when they can declassify exculpatory info and classify pejorative information at will...

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Then why did they all lie about this numerous times

Why didn't they just come out and say so three years ago, when Bush promised to fire the leaker and had no clue who would have done this?