| Monday, July 25, 2005 |
| What did the president know... |
...and when did they know it, regarding the outing of Valerie Plame?
David Gergen wants to know, and the four-time White House advisor, who has himself been accused of peddling the White House spin on Karl Rove by Media Matters (I think they have him confused with the faux maverick, John McCain...), asked some pointed questions on Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation. Transcribed by BradBlog:
GERGEN: I think this is a big, serious story and the interesting thing about this week...I think the story also started to move toward the President. What did Karl Rove know, what did Scooter Libby know, in the President's and Vice-Presidents office? But...in turn what did the President know and when did he know it?
... GERGEN: There are two things about this. One about the President...If Scott McClellan was misled by Scotter Libby and by Karl Rove, was the President mislead?...
STEPHANOPOULOS: Exactly...
GERGEN: ...Or if he was not mislead and he was told the truth, how do they let Scott McClellan go out there with that statement?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Or does he think this is okay?
GERGEN: Yeah...Or does he think it's okay?...So I think...that's why I think this is increasingly gonna be about the President over time. ...and about the president's good friend, the attorney general, who apparently knew a great deal about the leak investigation before almost anyone else did. Al Gonzales, who at the time was White House counsel, apprently waited 12 hours before notifying his staff about the Plame lead probe after he found out about it. The question is, during that time, who DID he talk to? The president? Karl Rove? Or just chief of staff Andy Card (and who did he tell?)
Gergen ins't the only analyst who's picking up on the fact that the leak probe seems to be edging closer and closer to the White House. WaPo's Achenblog wonders if the prosecutor is eyeing the vice president.
Clearly, the White House is looking for a ready distraction, because today, they put out word that President Bush may soon sidestep Congress and recess appoint John Bolton to the post of Mr. Moustache ... I mean U.N. ambassador... |
posted by JReid @ 3:36 PM   |
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