Friday, April 07, 2006

A Few Thoughts on the Bush Leaks...

2 posts below, you can find some great observations by my pal Hud on the Bush leaks. On of the defenses that'll be (and has already popped up) that Bush didn't leak any classified info bc when the Pres. discloses such information he ACTUALLY HAS DECLASSIFIED it. Outside of the prima facia weakness of this argument, it (to me) outlines the weakness of the president's position if this is all they end up having for an argument.

Hud points out that the attempts to declassify this for certain people's (politically supportive) consumption is more like a leak than a declassification of information for the public. I'd go a little bit further. IF this was a legit declassification, why no effort to clear that up by the president? why no public pose against any leaking in his administration and a declaration to fire anyone leaking? why not interrupt prosecutor fitzgerald's criminal investigation of the matter to explain he's barking up the wrong tree, if all that stuff was indeed declassified (hence, no crime)? why this need to 'get to the bottom' of these leaks and faux anger over the notion?

it is clear. the President and VP purposely released classified information for their own political gain in the approach of a new election. they lied to cover it up and people are going to jail for their lies. No two ways about it.

1 comment:

CSH said...

I completely forgot about how Bush was furious about the leak, I guess I should say "feigned being furious about the leak." Yeah, I really don't buy the "its not a leak its declassification" line when the president demands to the public that he will fire whoever leaked the information.

I wonder if it makes any difference how we cast this. I mean, its one thing to say that the President can declassify information by his own choice, secret information like the design of the propellers on our nuclear submarines, but it is another thing altogether when that classified information is an undercover agent currently or potentially in the field. I'd be wary of anyone who spoke of this as merely declassifying information.