The short version, White House Obstructing Plame Investigation
The Bush Administration is actively blocking Congress’ investigation into the outing of once-covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, according to House Oversight Committee chairman Henry Waxman.
In a letter sent today to Attorney General Michael Mukasey, Waxman notes that “White House objections are preventing Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald from disclosing key information to investigating officials.” Among the documents being withheld are interviews taken from White House officers during Fitzgerald’s investigation into the leak of Plame’s identity.
“Over the summer, Mr. Fitzgerald agreed to provide relevant documents to the Committee, including records of interviews with senior White House officials. Unfortunately, the White House has been blocking Mr. Fitzgerald from providing key documents to the Committee,” Waxman writes to newly appointed Mukasey. “I ask that you personally look into this matter and authorize the production of the documents to the Committee without any further delay.”
As HuffPo reminds us when Attorney General Mukasey was testifying at his confirmation hearings he assured Congress that he was his own man and wouldn’t let the Whitehouse continue its politicalization of the DOJ. Now is certainly his chance to prove it. I said this was the short version. Those that would like to catch up on all the details including Fitzgerald’s and Congress’s option see LooseHeadThoughts: Rule 6(e)
-Rule 6(e)(3)(E)(i) Allows for the unsealing of grand jury material for use “preliminary to or in connection with a judicial proceeding”
In order to do that a motion would be made before Judge Walton and there would have to be a showing that Congress had a “particularized need” for the GJ information and that it would be used preliminary to or in connection with a judicial proceeding.
Cheney: ‘We Will Not Allow’ Iran Nukes -Vice President Threatens ‘Serious’ Consequences
By JOHN HENDREN, WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2007
Vice President Dick Cheney today issued his sternest warning to date on Iran, saying the Persian nation will not be allowed to pursue its nuclear program.
Dismissing Iran’s claims that it is seeking only nuclear energy and not a weapons program, Cheney accused Iranian leaders of pursuing a practice of “delay and deception in an obvious effort to buy time.”
“Our country, and the entire international community, cannot stand by as a terror-supporting state fulfills its grandest ambitions,” Cheney told the Washington Institute for Near East Studies. “The Iranian regime needs to know that if it stays on its present course the international community is prepared to impose serious consequences.”
Its Iraq redux. Rather then a smoking gun, the assessment of the professionals is filled with caveats unlike Cheney and the right-wing echo who proclaim for absolute certainty that Iran is a clock tick away from being nuclear armed. There is some subtlety that exists in the assessment of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its aims. We’re not going to get a picture from about Iran from the bomb them into glass now crowd that is painted with shades of gray. We’re going to get the same bellicose rhetoric about Iran that we got about Iraq. If you’re into arms control wonkery you might click over to Arms Control Wonk, IC: Iran Stopped Nuke Program in Fall 2003
The IC says Iran suspended its clandestine weapons program in Fall 2003. (The NIE and the DDNI statement)
I can’t quite believe the IC agrees with something that Paul Kerr and I have been arguing was possible for years — that the bureaucratic consolidation undertaken in late 2003 may have choked off the clandestine program, at least for now. I mean, we were just making educated guesses.
There has been some dissent from the wacky Right’s public saber rattling about Iran for years from arms control experts. How much of that dissent have we heard from the network news programs or CNN. About zero. That darn liberal media.
Unka Karl is off his meds again, Ignoring his flawed 2006 forecast, Wallace allowed Rove to predict GOP “gains in the Congress” in 2008
On Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove stated, “I’m confident the Republican candidates are going to have enough money to make enough damage out of this record to make gains in the Congress.” Host Chris Wallace did not note Rove’s incorrect prediction that Republicans would retain control of Congress in the 2006 elections or Rove’s incorrect predictions about the 2000 presidential election.
Karl needs to keep popping up on these show. The more he does the more America can see that rather then being the great master mind of Konservatism he’s more like an empty suit.
Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood and nearly as blamable. ~ H.Ballou
The Long Goodbye 
