Cheney Led Effort To Smear Wilson, Played Dumb
Cheney Led Effort To Smear Wilson, Played Dumb
The New York Times reports Vice President Cheney led the effort to discredit Joe Wilson. According to the Times, Scooter Libby learned of Valerie Wilson’s role at the CIA from Cheney during a June 12, 2003 conversation:
The notes, taken by Mr. Libby during the conversation, for the first time place Mr. Cheney in the middle of an effort by the White House to learn about Ms. Wilson’s husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV, who was questioning the administration’s handling of intelligence about Iraq’s nuclear program to justify the war.
[Snip]
The notes do not show that Mr. Cheney knew the name of Mr. Wilson’s wife. But they do show that Mr. Cheney did know and told Mr. Libby that Ms. Wilson was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency and that she may have helped arrange her husband’s trip.
Appearing on Meet the Press on September 14, 2003, Cheney played dumb:
I don’t know Mr. Wilson. I probably shouldn’t judge him. I have no idea who hired him and it never came [up]…
Whether or not Cheney is in legal trouble, if the New York Times report is true, it’s clear he misled the American people.
(HT: Digby)
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“I probably shouldn’t judge him.”
Is there anyone on the planet more hypocritical than Dick Cheney?
October 25th, 2005 at 12:08 amcheney never met john edwards, until a photo proved otherwise. while no criminal charges may apply to cheney telling libby, let’s hope political ones do.
October 25th, 2005 at 12:25 amIt a vindictive circle I tell you!
How bizarre have things gotten when the smear machine gears up to push back on the indictments that were necessitated by the smear machine’s prior activities?
Before we go to bed, please keep St. Patrick in your prayers…
Hop their asses off to the big house.
October 25th, 2005 at 12:27 amWhy is no one questioning Bush’s involvement?!?! That is the BIG FISH I want to land!!
Can Bush be indicted, and what are the ramifications…is he cuffed, printed…oh, the joy!!
I had a thought that we are fortunate that someone as steeled and intellectually honest as Patrick Fitzherald is the one to bring these bastards down, because they have met more than their match!! There is not an intellectual one in the bunch of hoodlums railroading the GOP…they have just taken us by surprise with their audacious mendacity!!
Let them swing for their crimes, and then try ‘em at the Hague!!
October 25th, 2005 at 1:09 am“Whether or not Cheney is in legal trouble, if the New York Times report is true, it’s clear he misled the American people.”
Wow. Suddenly activist Democrats care whether or not a president or vice president misleads the American people?
Shouldn’t we just censure and move on?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:15 amRe. Cheney supposedly not knowing who Joe Wilson was:
October 25th, 2005 at 1:24 amJoe Wilson was the highest ranking American diplomat in Iraq before, during and after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, while Cheney was Secretary of Defense. At the time, Wilson was in regular communication with Bush I’s War Cabinet, and Bush I was a vocal admirer of Wilson. I find it very hard to believe that Cheney didn’t know who Wilson was, even 13 years later!
Wrong, Jan. But thanks for playing.
The highest ranking US diplomat in Iraq at the time of their invasion of Kuwait was US Ambassador April Gillespie.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:28 amYeah, Right “TheTool”-
There’s no difference between lying about cheating on your wife versus lying about a criminal investigation involving the treasonous act of outing a covert agent.
But regardless, we’re all glad that Bush / Cheney brought Honor and Integrity back to the Executive Branch. (yes, that WAS a dose of sarcasm)
So tell me- what stings the most: Becoming what you once despised, or the betrayal of the basic tenents of conservatism (fiscal responsibility, state’s rights, private property rights)?
But I supposed you’re pleased with it all- which is the most pathetic thing of all. Poor little guy….
October 25th, 2005 at 1:30 amBush can’t be indicted, only impeached. Dick Cheney can be indicted and impeached.
We now know Cheney lied, under oath or not, to the SP and therefore should be at least impeached if not indicted.
I believe he will be indicted.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:30 amBut you can prove what a True Blue NeoCon trooper you are by joining the National Guard. When’s you’re enlistment date?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:32 am“There’s no difference between lying about cheating on your wife versus lying about a criminal investigation involving the treasonous act of outing a covert agent.”
Okay, I get it now.
President Clinton can lie through his teeth about his adulterous affairs to the American people, and that’s cool. I got you.
But Dick Cheney fighting back against political charges from a liberal actvist husband/wife team is a federal scandal.
Sorry. I understand it all much better now.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:36 am“But you can prove what a True Blue NeoCon trooper you are by joining the National Guard. When’s you’re enlistment date?”
Even though this an anonymous blog, I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t have an enlistment date and I do not plan on joining the National Guard.
But the overwhelming majority of those that have joined support me for supporting them.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:38 amI didn’t say either of it was cool- personally I think Clinton was a asshole for cheating. But you’re the one that seems to think that the whole basis for the investigation was simply “fighting back”, even though the Bush Administration requested the investigation because a crime was committed. I think we all understand the personal quandry that you must be feeling. If you feel like having a good cry, let it out.
By the way- no answer as to why you’re not joining the Guard?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:41 am“But the overwhelming majority of those that have joined support me for supporting them.”
That could be the most pussified statement ever made. WHY won’t you join?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:43 amIf you believe so fervently in the goals, strategies of this Administration, given the sacrifice that the military has made for his geopolitcal agenda, why won’t step up. “Other priorities”, like Cheney?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:46 am“…Dick Cheney fighting back against political charges from a liberal actvist husband/wife team…”
Now THAT’s funny.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:47 amYeah- like dismantling a covert shell organization like Brewster-Jennings over a political battle against a “liberal actvist husband/wife team” {including a WMD agent} constitutes “fighting the good fight”. Comical, Tool.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:50 amMan- I can’t believe TheTruth bitched out like that on a blog. I give him a little credit for openly admitting he’s a chickenhawk- most anonymous neocons would simply lie and say they are / were military.
So here’s to you, Chickenhawk!
October 25th, 2005 at 1:59 am“If you can’t walk the walk, the SHUT THE TALK you TRAITOR.”
Yes, I’m sure the vast majority of our fighting men and women in uniform support the forces of evil that lurk in the US who oppose their commander in chief (the real one, not Geena Davis), oppose their mission and would prefer to live in a world where Saddam Hussein is still a lobal threat.
We all know who the real traitors are, and it’s not me, it’s not the Administration, and it’s not the military.
Take a look in the mirror Mr. Neat.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:02 am“In the end republicanism virtually always comes down to fear, greed, selfishness, ignorance, hate, bigotry or cowardice. It’s the nature of the ‘values’ that it requires to believe in such a hateful and irrational set of political values.”
Re-read that post and then tell me who’s hateful.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:06 amATTENTION CHICKENHAWKS (including The Truth):
You can now promote our “noble cause” by completing the following:
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/pdf/enlistment.pdf#search=‘Enlistment%20%2F%20ReEnlistment%20Document’
Just what we figured….cluck…cluck…cluck.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:38 amWhew! Such a heated exchange! You go Ryan!
October 25th, 2005 at 2:48 amFolks, sorry if my cheerleading is annoying you, but damn, I get such a kick out of well-written, fact supported and passionate posts like these!
TheTool is really clueless – how sad that someone who really thinks they are a patriot is being used and betrayed by this administration. I hope that once the sentences are passed and the cabal is swinging from the gallows, people like this will realize they were had. We don’t need you to stop being conservatives – just stop being IDIOT LIARS!!!! Think for yourself fo a change like we liberals do!
Don’t forget – like “glamour” and “agony”, “liberal” and “liberty” share many of the same letters!
Keep the faith, friends, let’s all get a good night’s sleep as this should be an exciting week! Look at all that came out so far and it’s only Monday! Sweet dreams.
And yes, I used to be Sara and had to update the handle as there was another Sara recently…
Ryan,
October 25th, 2005 at 2:49 amPlease stop ranting about the intellect of the trolls who infect this blog. Stick to the “Harriet Miers” scale – Anyone as smart as W or smarter is brilliant, all others are single-celled organisms.
Cheney “played dumb”?
I thought that was George’s role in this charade!
October 25th, 2005 at 3:33 am“lobal threat”-What an appropriate slip of the fingers!
That’s right, Nigel. I will never forget the day poor old Norm Coleman got stuck with the thankless job of trying to discredit UNOFFP. I believe, if I saw correctly, I saw Coleman poop his breeches! Hilarious stuff!
October 25th, 2005 at 7:05 amColeman is a petty man.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:07 amThe war effort could not sustain itself early on. That’s the “Truth”. It certainly can’t sustain itself now. It’s coming home for the war criminals.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:13 am#36 – The best summary of the story I have found is here:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/1a7a7bc4-44ce-11da-a5f0-00000e2511c8.html
Given the opening claim from Coleman’s report is that Galloway “personally solicited and received lucrative oil allocations from the Hussein regimeâ€, my money is on another Coleman airshot.
But in the current climate, I’d like to emphasize particulary, that if Galloway PERJURED himself or OBSTRUCTED JUSTICE, this is a VERY serious crime and it should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
And yes, I also think it’s an astonishing coincidence that Coleman dropped this into the public domain in the same week that Plamegate reaches a crescendo.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:32 amWhatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. The Reduhblicans deserve everything they got comin’ to ‘em. Crooked as a barrel of snakes, they are.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:45 amIt’s time to end of the madness of the current administration. It’s time to impeach! Before the skyrocketing national debt and national deficit threaten America’s very sovereignty. Before 2000 more U.S. soldiers die to make the rich richer. Before GWB alienates America from the rest of the world–forever. Before GWB totally fu*ks up America like he did Texas.
October 25th, 2005 at 7:49 am“Whether or not Cheney is in legal trouble, if the New York Times report is true, it’s clear he misled the American people.”
Ok… so tell me something I don’t know :)
October 25th, 2005 at 8:03 amThe highest ranking US diplomat in Iraq at the time of their invasion of Kuwait was US Ambassador April Gillespie.
Comment by TheTool — October 25, 2005 @ 1:28 am
Wrong! But thanks for losing! It would have been April Glaspie, but she was out of country. Chain of Command fell to Wilson.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:17 amWell, the truth is bleeding out.
This is about a fight between WH and CIA.
Rove comments:
-”already said too much”
-”will be declassified soon”
These guys deliberately tried to destroy the CIA. They blew Plame’s cover knowing they would fire her anyway. Their timing was off. TREASON!!!!!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:19 amRe-read that post and then tell me who’s hateful.
Comment by TheTruth
We love you… to death!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:19 amTime to stock up on the bubbly!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:21 amDepending on the extent of the indictments, it could be an all-night party at our place! Hell, we’ll take a couple days off to celebrate! Very little sleep, bbq and beverages for all! I think the kids have some fireworks left over from the 4th!
If you believe Cheney wasn’t acquainted with Wilson, then you would also believe Cheney was clueless about the forged documents.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:25 amIf you believe Cheney when he said Saddam has WMD, then you would also believe the insurgency is in its last throes.
Cheney is a lying pig.
I would encourage you all not to focus on insulting each other. Fitz doesn’t care. He’s going to uphold the law and ring up indictments.
Resignation is looking like an excellent option for Cheney, especially since any replacement requires confirmation by both houses of Congress, and the Republicans may not hold a majority for much longer.
On a side note, I just can’t say enough of how impressed I am with Fitz and his office. He runs a tight ship, and has balls of pure tungsten. Very, very refreshing – inspiring! – for today’s political climate.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:35 amMr. Truth shouldn’t waste his patriotic time joining the National Guard where he may or may not be called upon to actually serve his country fighting a wasteful Bush-war somewhere. That is the way our commander-in-chief avoided the Vietnam War while his poorer and less well connected classmates went off to do the fighting for him. I suggest he goes straight down to the U.S. Marine Recruiter and join ASAP and request a combat zone where he can do more than shoot his mouth off about something he knows very little about.
Mr. Truth doesn’t understand that nothing has changed since Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Limbaugh, O’Righty and all the rest of the warhawks avoided Vietnam except for the generations. Bush’s family and friends still avoiding serving while the sons and daughters of those who did their duty are once again called on to do the fighting and dieing.
Get a clue, Mr. Truth. And I want to tell you that your statement in #24 about “evil forces that lurk in the U.S. who oppose their commander in chief” is pure bullshit. Serving your country and disagreeing with the “commander in chief” are not the same. Just because he makes all his “war” appearances does not me we all support him. In the military, you take orders, and are not allowed to publically disagree with your leaders or there would be no military structure.
But since you have NO CLUE about military life outside of movies and newsclips, I’m wasting my breath. I suggest you quit wasting yours an join the Marines where you can prove just how gungho you are. As a leftie, I would appreciate your service in trying to get us out of a useless war that has claimed thousands of American lives and maimed many thousands more, the draining of our national wealth, the ruination of our dwindling Armed Forces, all the while bin Laden and Co. still threaten us after nearly four years of war.
Call that recuiter RIGHT NOW before you chicken out!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:37 amRe: #24
“Yes, I’m sure the vast majority of our fighting men and women in uniform support the forces of evil that lurk in the US who oppose their commander in chief (the real one, not Geena Davis), oppose their mission and would prefer to live in a world where Saddam Hussein is still a lobal threat.”
OK, Mr. TheTruth. No WMD’s found. Remind us again what (g)lobal threat that would be.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:39 amRepublicans want an investigation into who leaked information about Cheney lying. What? Haven’t they caused enough trouble for themselves?
So, what if we find out who is talking to the NYTimes about Cheney being a liar? Would that make him not a liar?
It’s all ridiculous diversion from fact. The Administration is comprised of bad guys.
October 25th, 2005 at 9:54 amOh quit complaining! LOOK! OVER THERE! It’s SYRIA! They killed someone! Let’s go git’m!
October 25th, 2005 at 9:59 amCheney misled the American people — what’s new?
October 25th, 2005 at 10:01 amHow do the religious wackos defend this party of corruption, liars, and criminals.
who is this new wanker thetruth? I have to wonder, what is it about rightwing social misfits that they feel the need to go tweek others.
If you wanted to talk, you would. You want none of that, you want to shout fire in crowded theaters. The internet will be anonymous for only a while longer. Till then, the rest of us can take solace in that our mothers raised us right, your’se musta sucked….look at what she turned out.
I hadn’t imagined it in my wildest dreams but wouldn’t Cheney doing the perp walk in cuffs be out of this world?!? Dumbya would pardon him before the trial even started unfortunately. and all the righty fascists who post here would then say how correct that treasonous action was. Funny, I can see that future pretty clearly, now why can’t I pick lotto numbers as well?
October 25th, 2005 at 10:02 am“No WMDs found”….But since according to the oh-so-public info available, Ms. Plame worked for the CIA on (as I’ve seen it reported) “WMD and proliferation issues”, it makes you wonder….just what role did SHE play in the “No WMDs found!” snafu?
If SHE was a part of the intelligence apparatus that supplied this “sexed up” info, would she still be a heroine to you folks? Or would you be wailing and bawling, “Plame lied – people died!”?
Just curious…
October 25th, 2005 at 10:06 amWhat role did Plame play in the WMD snafu? “If” she played a role, my hunch is that she knew what we all now know…that there were no WMD’s. We likely will never know what her “role” was.
October 25th, 2005 at 10:21 amLet me further clarify…she probably questioned the intelligence we supposedly had, as did others in the administration, and came to the conclusion that it was not, as Director Tenet indicated, a “slam dunk” case.
October 25th, 2005 at 10:25 amSUPPORT OUR TROOPS
PULL OUT OF IRAQ NOW
October 25th, 2005 at 10:32 am“…she probably questioned the intelligence we supposedly had…”
really? any evidence for this? Maybe she – as an underhanded way to discredit GWB, was PUSHING the “Saddam has WMDs!” evidence.
October 25th, 2005 at 10:46 amA investigation needs to be done on this whole Iraq war and how we were misled into it. Unfortunately the Republican party is so deep into their own false nationalistic ideology that they are programed not to question themselves! They keep themselves programed on a regular basis by listening to Fox news and right wing radio. If some begin questioning themselves, they freak out and tune into Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity to give their false patriotism a boost. Then they go on ranting about bull crap like “TheTruth” fellow on here. Hitler would be proud!
October 25th, 2005 at 10:56 amEEWWWW!
October 25th, 2005 at 11:18 amGet the slime off me.
#37
October 25th, 2005 at 11:29 amNow Coleman is saving the internet from the world. And I have confidence in that. Not.
#13
October 25th, 2005 at 11:29 amHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH! Tell me some for funny jokes.
That is… more funny jokes. I must have lost control during the gales.
October 25th, 2005 at 11:31 am#12 Truth- Clinton wasn’t lying, he just couldn’t remember the meaning of “is”…..(mental note, don’t send kids to Oxford….)
October 25th, 2005 at 11:51 am#61- Hitler would NOT be proud, those damn republicans won’t dissarm their citizens……idiots…..
#60
Hey…you’re the one who opened up this discussion on Plame’s role. Quote: “…it makes you wonder….just what role did SHE play in the “No WMDs found!†snafu?” So, you made me wonder. Evidence? Of course not.
Where is your evidence that she played any role? You said, “If SHE was a part of the intelligence apparatus that supplied this “sexed up†info…” I call attention to the word “if,” which you used, just as I did.
October 25th, 2005 at 12:32 pm#1, to answer you question….yes.
Dumbya
but the true irony here is Dumbya doesn’t have the brains to put any of it to good use, Crash-Cart-cheeney does.
After all crash-cart has been president since 2000.
October 25th, 2005 at 12:42 pmI smell a resignation coming soon. Huffington was on Bill Maher on friday, and she thinks this will be bigger than Watergate.
October 25th, 2005 at 12:48 pmAt best, Cheney has been orchestrating a cover-up for the past two years. At worst, he also committed perjury and violated the Intelligence Identities Act.
Either way, as responsible citizens, we have no choice but to demand his resignation.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:12 pmIn 1991, Cheney was Secretary of Defense.
October 25th, 2005 at 1:33 pmIn 1991, Wilson was acting Ambassador to Iraq.
There is video footage taken in 1991 after Desert Storm where Hussein was surrounded by some children, in the background was Wilson, who had sheltered 800 Americans in the embassy during that conflict, and also present was Dick Cheney, Sec. of Defense.
At this momentous occasion, post-Desert Storm, with both men present in the video, Dick Cheney claims he didn’t know Wilson before the leak in July of 2003?
Cheney’s going down!
October 25th, 2005 at 1:43 pmCheney’s going down!
Okay…so let’s assume for the sake of argument that Cheney resigns and is replaced with Condi Rice….Now she has three years as an “incumbent” to lay the groundwork for a 2008 campaign for President.
Wouldn’t you agree that this could be – potentially- disastrous news for, say, Hillary?
October 25th, 2005 at 1:50 pmTo TheTruth, Comment 8, from Jan, Comment 7 (I just saw your comment.):
My point — I find it very hard to believe that Cheney didn’t know who Wilson was, even 13 years later — still stands, even though April Glaspie didn’t leave Iraq until July 31, two days before Iraq invaded Kuwait, and Wilson refers to himself as “most senior official at the American Embassy in Baghdad (106).”
The major reasons I came to that conclusion are:
(1) Joe Wilson was the top diplomatic person on the ground in Iraq while the US was preparing to launch Desert Storm; and
(2) President Bush I admired Wilson and was pretty obvious about during War Cabinet meetings.
This is fleshed out in Wilson’s book, “The Politics of Truth”, pp. 106-174.
Thanks, tho, TheTruth, for your encouragement. Otherwise I’m not sure I would have responded to your comment.
October 25th, 2005 at 2:44 pmA investigation needs to be done on this whole Iraq war and how we were misled into it.
Yes, I totally agree. We should start by opening up the secret “energy policy” meetings that Cheney was conducting with Big Oil as they were carving up the Iraqi oil fields, on paper, in 2001. I’ll bet that’s where the plan to fabricate the manufactured Niger yellowcake “evidence” was hatched, too. Dick Cheney, a man with no moral compass, but totally willing to profit by war.
In 1998, Halliburton was making profits trading with Iraq around the US embargo.
Halliburton/Cheney and ABB/Rumsfield were also involved with selling dual-use WMD technology to Pakistan in the
90’s. If they are not world-class war-profiteering, war criminals, then Bush is a Viet Nam war hero.
Wouldn’t you agree that this could be – potentially- disastrous news for, say, Hillary?
Well, a Republican ham sandwich could run and win in 2008 if we don’t have transparent election systems. But, assuming we fix the machines, I’d love to run Condi “we never thought they’d ever use planes as bombs” Rice to run against Hillary. 8 more years of Peace and Prosperity or 8 more years of Bush….yeah, I’d love to run that race.
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