Bush, Cheney Urged to Apologize for Aides

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051030/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cia_leak_investigation

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Sunday that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should apologize for the actions of their aides in the CIA leak case.


Reid, D-Nev., also said Bush should pledge not to pardon any aides convicted as a result of the investigation into the disclosure of CIA officer Valerie Plame's identity.

"There has not been an apology to the American people for this obvious problem in the White House," Reid said. He said Bush and Cheney "should come clean with the American public."

Reid added, "This has gotten way out of hand, and the American people deserve better than this."

[fooj]

1. Fuck them. Too late with too little...

:grr:

[MaineDem]

11. The indictments happened on Friday

What would you have had Reid do and when to NOT be too late?

[katty]

49. Yup. and bush/cheney do not apologize for any f/up

the most passionate utterance we have heard out of dick is:

"go f yourself"

[afdip]

2. they won't apologize and this should heighten the outrage. what

good would apologies be? remember the chimp's sneer when he took responsibility for the federal fuck-ups in katrina.

[A Brand New World]

3. I think ** and Cheney are between a rock and a hard place on

this one. They can't go out and really publicly diss Libby because they know he knows too much. If push comes to shove, Libby will squeal like a pig if he doesn't think that they're backing him up.

[napi21]

4. All 3 guests on MTP said the same thing.

Ken Duberstein from Reagan, Hamilton Jordan from Carter, and Leon Panetta from Clinton, all said in order to have any chance of recovery, Shrub is going to have to make a statement to the American people and explain how disturbed and disappointed he was by Libby's actions. That he promised honor and integrity in the WH, and that has not happened, and he is very sorry. Then he needs to explain what he has done to correct that situation.

MAYBE that will help to bring him back to some popularity, but if he simply tries to hide it and hope it goes away, he'd sone.

[Seansky]

5. Apologize? WTF? This is why we get disappointed by these Dems

They need to DEMAND resignations...The bunch of cronies must be held accountable...Apologies won't bring back the dead soldiers, innocent Iraqis, stability in the ME, recovery of US trust abroad, recovery of economy, the $200+ billion cost of the war, and solution to the nightmares created by this admin.

After they resign, they should be tried for treason....

These Dems should learn from Kristof's http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001392406 demand for Cheney's resignation.

How long will these dems continue this lack of back bone behavior? We need the strength and conviction of a MLK not a request for apology...

NOW I'm pis**d.

[louis-t]

13. I actually like the strategy. Like itching powder.

Dems know * will NEVER apologize for anything. So, they suggest or demand he do just that. Makes him look bad, keeps it in the news.

[cliss]

20. I agree! While this may seem like they're not asking much,

to Bush and his cronies, it's Mission Impossible. There is not a snowball's chance in hell that Bush OR Cheney will actually come forward and apologize. NEVER.

That's a good thing, in my opinion. The American public is actually quite forgiving. If people come forward and admit their mistakes, Americans are known for giving people another chance.

But Bush won't do it, because he's MUCH too proud, too arrogant, too stupid to ever do it. So I think that was a good move on Schumer's part.

[Seansky]

22. well, that might be, but the fact that after 5 years the dems strategies

have accomplished little in getthing * made accountable, I am just loosing faith on their move unless they do things that make the masses follow them and back them up...That's were I'm coming from. Think this is going to accomplish than when more and more families are falling into poverty or on the edge to going bankrupt?

sorry, the apologies request don't do it for me and I doubt that the people that I see thru my volunteer jobs will be satisfied with that when they are forced to choose between food and gas...Doesn't cut it and neither of your comments changes my mind. I am really concerned about the middle and lower middle classes and I don't think they can stand any more damage to their lives...

[louis-t]

48. Doesn't matter what Dems do or think.

American people will decide on * legacy. Poll numbers show he's not too popular. Poll numbers always go up when officeholders apologize. Kennedy/Bay of Pigs, Clinton/Monica, Reagan/Iran Contra.

[JoFerret]

21. Demanding apologies is actually smarter and stronger

than demanding resignations.

[Rose Siding]

25. He also said Rove should resign

snip>
"I think Karl Rove should step down," Reid said. "Here is a man who the president said if he was involved, if anyone in the administration was involved, out they would go."
....
Reid said the Libby indictment and other scandals in the Republican-led government — including the indictment of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and an investigation of Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee — as well as 2,000 dead in Iraq and high energy prices have had a negative impact on the outlook of Americans.

"I think they're as disappointed as I am .... almost dejected," Reid said.

[nickgutierrez]

30. This is Harry's style - he's very subtle

I like him, though. What he's done here is throw Bush and Cheney right into the fire in the public eye, where they might not have been before. The result you request - the one we want - and his call for apologies is not mutually exclusive, and Reid's request for Bush to take "responsibility" may well be the best way to reach that result in the end.

[gizmo1979]

6. HAHAHAHA

apologize man democrats what a gas.I sure hope they were joking.:rofl:

[elehhhhna]

7. Reagan didn't mention AIDS for 8 solid years.

Maybe our dyslexic prezzy think's he's taking a page from Gippers playbook.

LOL

[afdip]

15. he never mentioned alzheimers . . .

[Nashyra]

17. It seems like too little too late but

most mainstream news watching people will be puzzled by the administration refusing to simply apologize. Not everyone is as savy as those at DU. Simple requests resonate more widely when talking about the electorate, the Bible Belt understands this tactic more easily. The fact that they asked * to "pledge" not to pardon is something that most voters understand. If * and the Repukes do not promise not to pardon they are screwed, if they do promise to not pardon Libby turns on all of them

[0007]

8. Kudos for Harry Reid!!

Nice signature line. :hi:

BTW, I signed the petition and pass it on my many Democratic friends to sign.
Please sign
Bring the troops home from Iraq now

[NV Whino]

9. Apologies?

We don' need no stinkin' aplologies. We need impeachments!

[99Pancakes]

19. Yep!

nt

[Metta]

10. Apologizing impliess complicity and cover up. Don't hold your breath, Har

ry.

[Totally Committed]

12. They still haven't apologized for killing New Orleans

and thousands of the people there, nor have they apologized for the trauma caused to the rest of the people who had to survive an entire week there without a government.

Why should they apologize for this or the literally hundreds of things they should have already apologized for and have not?

[brentspeak]

14. Democrats shouldn't behave like the Japanese and Koreans

Always petulantly demanding for "apologies".

Demand resignations, instead.

[gratuitous]

16. Bush and Cheney are incapable of apology

Reid has made a simple demand, and even that will be beyond the capabilities of the "never apologize, never explain" corrupt cabal running the country. While there is a vanishing minority that still wants to think the best and the highest of this administration, it's pretty clear to a large majority of Americans (at last!) that these clowns are running the country into the ground.

Bush and Cheney can't apologize; the investigation isn't over and they know it. Libby's indictment is the tug on the loose thread that completely unravels the sweater. After two years, all Fitzgerald knows to an indictable fare-thee-well is that Libby is lying. What, exactly, is he lying about, and why? Fitzgerald hasn't even reached that question yet with his indictment. If Libby is hoping for leniency, he'll have to tell the truth, the prospect of which strikes fear into his pinched little heart, but causes sphincter release in the rest of this crooked administration.

And when there is no apology, Reid can capitalize on that. One step at a time, don't get ahead of yourself. Take these bastards down, burn their crops and sow the land with salt so they can't come back. If you sow the land with salt first, you risk not getting the first two steps done.

[Overseas]

18. I think Harry's picturing the pathetic spectacle it would make

if Bush tried to pollagize...

[kurth]

23. Reid Calls for Rove to Resign

Reid Calls for Rove to Resign
By Daniela Deane, Washington Post

The leader of the Senate Democrats today called for White House chief political strategist Karl Rove to resign, saying it's time for President Bush to "come clean" with the American people about the administration's role in the disclosure of a CIA operative's name.

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), speaking on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," said both Bush and Vice President Cheney owe an apology to the American public. Reid said Bush should pledge not to pardon I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's chief of staff who was indicted Friday on five charges relating to statements he made to the FBI and a grand jury investigating the leak of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

He took aim at Rove, whose actions were probed by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald. Rove is reportedly still under investigation. "I think Karl Rove should step down," Reid said about the White House deputy chief of staff. "Here is a man who the president said if he was involved, if anyone in the administration was involved, out they would go. Anybody who is involved in this, they're gone." ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/30/AR2005103000348.html

[Trajan]

24. Now: stand up ramrod straight and say it with CONVICTION, Harry ...

and it wouldnt hurt if you were surrounded by other Democrats with BACKBONE and CONVICTION to sturdy their resolve to rid OUR nation of this corruption and graft ....

Dems ? > GET SOME FUCKIN CAJONES ....

[Robert Oak]

27. Good move dems now offer

a platform and an agenda that is for the American people instead of
multinational corporations.

They need to do much more than blast the corrupt Bush Corp.

[leftchick]

32. Reid asking for Rove resignation is in the Yahoo article....

perhaps no one read it all the way down?? It is from the This Week Appearance...

<snip>

Reid also said that Karl Rove, the president's closest political adviser, should step down. Rove has not been charged with a crime.

<snip>

"I think Karl Rove should step down," Reid said. "Here is a man who the president said if he was involved, if anyone in the administration was involved, out they would go."

[Vidar]

26. Not a bad move, Harry.

[DrDan]

28. I have a feeling junior has never apologized for anything

in his pathetic drug/acohol-laden life

I just don't see it in him to do a human act like that

[PegDAC]

45. Exactly!

The words "sorry", "apologize", and "shame" are nowhere in his limited vocabulary.

[The Stranger]

29. PAGING SENATOR DURBIN . . . PAGING DICK . . .

WE NEED AN APOLOGY . . . DICK, ARE YOU THERE . . .

[PurityOfEssence]

31. Nah, that wouldn't be manly.

It's all about power and control, done in the primitive and traditional way.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

33. Iraqis first on the list to get an apology.... or so it should be.

[merwin]

34. kick

[autorank]

35. AP: Bush, Cheney Urged to Apologize for Aides (Sen. Reid Demands)

It's starting. Give 'em Hell Harry! Of course they won't apologize and that sets up Harry's next move--OUTRAGE

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20051030105709990002&ncid=NWS00010000000001

Bush, Cheney Urged to Apologize for Aides
Lawmakers From Both Parties Call for Shake-Up at White House

Updated: 05:40 PM EST
By NEDRA PICKLER, AP

WASHINGTON (Oct. 30) -- The Senate Democratic leader said Sunday that presidential adviser Karl Rove should resign because of his role in exposing an undercover CIA officer, and a veteran Republican senator said President Bush needs "new blood" in his White House.

Rove has not been charged, but he continues to be investigated in the CIA leaks case that brought the indictment and resignation Friday of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, an adviser to Bush and the top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has not made a decision on whether Rove gave false testimony during his four grand jury appearances. Rove is Bush's most trusted adviser.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he is disappointed that Bush and Cheney responded to the indictment by lauding Libby and suggested they should apologize for the leak that revealed the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame.

"First of all, the vice president issues this very terse statement praising Libby for all the great things he's done," Reid said. "Then we have the president come on camera a few minutes later calling him Scooter and what a great patriot he is. There has not been an apology to the American people for this obvious problem in the White House," Reid, D-Nev., told ABC's "This Week."

<snip>

[uppityperson]

36. Arrogance. Sheer arrogance.

A proud time for our country. :sarcasm:

[K8-EEE]

37. Reid Is BRILLIANT!

Exactly the right strategy -- bring it back to WHAT DOES BUSH KNOW? He looks bad if he knows nothing about it and his underlings are doing all this without his knowledge. He looks bad if he knew all along and told the US public that he didn't. IT'S A NO WIN!!!

[autorank]

39. I've been wondering when Harry would make his move.

It is brilliant, isn't it. He's got them and they don't have a "win" in the mix. WH response: "Uh, we're sorry for our aids, and we're also sorry we were not sorry, so I guess we're just sorry mofos."

[texpatriot2004]

38. Yes. Harry is brilliant. Give em hell Harry. We are with you. n.t

[NVMojo]

40. It's a good response to Fitzgerald's hard work! Fire Rove, now!!!

[IndianaGreen]

41. Apologize for what? Their aides were following their orders!

Libby and Rove are just the henchmen of the evil twin tyrants.

[fshrink]

42. Apologize for what?

That logically amounts to endorsing, again, the policies of this administration. The problem is not a malfunctioning in the White House. It is, on the contrary, that it functions very well, from top to bottom on a demented agenda. Asking for apologies reduces everything, including Fitzgerald's investigation, to a glitch limited to a few individuals and take the culprits off the hook. Which amounts to priming their evasive job. Again, banal pussy-footing is presented as a savvy political strategy.

[Tight_rope]

43. Those fucking crooks will never apologize and if so...it's too 2000+ late!

[leesa]

44. Not good enough assholes.

[johnlal]

46. Bush CAN'T Apologize

As soon as Bush apologizes for Libby or Rove, the other shoe will drop. He will be shown to be personally involved in the scandal. Then his apology will sound hypocritical. He needs to keep denying. That's the way criminals act.

[shanti]

47. they haven't apologized for anything yet

why do we think that they would now?

[XNGH]

50. apologies

Bush has a lot more to apologize for than just the aides

[XNGH]

51. Jail

Hopefully he will apologize from a jail cell