1 Boring Old Man

A senior government official who has spoken to the president about the matter said that although Bush encouraged Cheney to get information out to rebut Wilson’s charges, Bush was unaware that Cheney had directed Libby to leak classified information…

Christie at Firedoglake emphasizes the senior government official in Murray Waas‘ atricle, speculating about who that was. I’m onto Bush was unaware that Cheney had directed Libby to leak classified information. If true, it means that:

• No matter what kind of convoluted argument they use, if Bush was unaware, then the information wasn’t declassified first.
• Dick Cheney is a low-life scum-sucking pig and he directed Libby’s Leak, saying Bush authorized the whole thing – something Bush denies. Is it possible that, for once, W. is telling the truth, and that Cheney lied to Libby? So much for ‘honor among thieves’…

Then there’s this:

"[Libby] further testified that he at first advised the Vice President that he could not have this conversation with reporter Miller because of the classified nature of the NIE. [Libby] testified that the Vice President later advised him that the President had authorized [Libby] to disclose the relevant portions of the NIE."

And Libby "testified that he spoke to David Addington, then Counsel to the Vice President, whom [Libby] considered to be an expert in national security law, and Mr. Addington opined that presidential Authorization to publicly disclose a document amounted to a declassification of a document."

A senior government official familiar with the matter said that in directing Libby to leak the classified information to Miller and other reporters, Cheney said words to the effect of, "The president wants this out," or "The president wants this done."

All of this "I don’t remember…" stuff is baloney. This thing was thought through carefully at every turn. Cheney sounds like a Japanese Commander who says to the Kamakazi Pilot, "It’s for the Emperor" or one of those old Al Qaeda guys saying to some kid wired with explosives, "It’s for Allah." And it’s another example of the opinions of David Addington who is a remarkably weak source on interpreting the Constitution and our laws. His opinions are monotonous, "We can do whatever we want to do."

Get mad, America. These guys are nuts!