posted on September 30, 2005 05:19:43 AM
New York Times reporter Judith Miller leaves the U.S. District Court, Wednesday, June 29, 2005 in...
Miller Agrees to Testify in CIA Leak Probe
Friday, September 30, 2005 6:56 AM EDT
The Associated Press
By JOHN SOLOMON
WASHINGTON (AP) — Finally agreeing to testify, New York Times reporter Judith Miller's grand jury appearance throws a damaging spotlight once again on a White House whose credibility has been undermined in the criminal probe into the leak of a covert CIA officer's identity.
Freed after 85 days in a federal detention center, Miller was to testify Friday for Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation about her conversations in July 2003 with Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
Until a few months ago, the White House maintained for nearly two years that Libby and presidential aide Karl Rove were not involved in leaking the identity of Valerie Plame, whose husband had publicly suggested that the Bush administration twisted intelligence in the runup to the war in Iraq.
The timing of the criticism by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson was devastating for the White House, which was already on the defensive because no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. The president's claims of such weapons were the main justification for going to war.
Libby met with Miller just two days after Wilson blasted the Bush administration in a Times op-ed piece.
Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper has testified recently that Rove and Libby had spoken to him about Wilson's wife that same week in July 2003 when Miller spoke to Libby.
In October 2003, with the criminal investigation gaining speed, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said of Rove and Libby: "Those individuals assured me they were not involved in this" leaking of Plame's identity.
Miller has been in custody in Alexandria, Va., since July 6. A federal judge ordered her jailed for civil contempt of court when she refused to testify.
The disclosure of Plame's identity by syndicated columnist Robert Novak on July 14, 2003, triggered a criminal investigation that could still result in criminal charges against government officials.
"My source has now voluntarily and personally released me from my promise of confidentiality regarding our conversations relating to the Wilson-Plame matter," Miller said in a statement Thursday. Her newspaper identified Libby as the source, saying that Miller and Libby spoke in person on July 8, 2003, then talked by phone later that week.
Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. said that "as we have throughout this ordeal, we continue to support Judy Miller in the decision she has made. We are very pleased that she has finally received a direct and uncoerced waiver, both by phone and in writing, releasing her from any claim of confidentiality and enabling her to testify."
White House aides signed waivers earlier in the probe, but Miller wanted and received personal assurances that her source's waiver was voluntary. Libby's lawyer, Joseph Tate, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Fitzgerald spokesman Randall Samborn declined to comment.
President Bush has given varying accounts of the circumstances under which he would fire leakers in the Plame probe.
In September 2003, Bush said "we'll take the appropriate action" and his spokesman said "they would no longer be in this administration." In June 2004, Bush reiterated the pledge, answering "yes" when asked if he would fire anyone in his administration who leaked Plame's name. In July, amid revelations that Rove and Libby had been involved in the leaks, Bush said that "if someone committed a crime" he would be fired.
ALMOST EVERYDAY NOW BUSH AND HIS GANG OF CROOKS ARE BEING EXPOSED.
There is more at link below
http://adelphia.net/news/read.php? id=12238531&ps=1018&cat=&cps=0
posted on September 30, 2005 06:03:32 AM
Juith Miller went to jail to protect the Bush administration. Now, Libby will be sacrificed in order to protect Cheney. What a corrupt bunch of thugs.
posted on September 30, 2005 11:10:17 AM
After months and months of denying the Bush admin. had anything to do with the leak, this is just another screw-up to add to their never-ending list. (How many has there been this month?) The least Bush can do is get rid of Rove, but it's sooo like Bush to ammend what he commits to when it suits him. First he was going to fire any liars in his administration, then he changed that to he would fire anyone that commits a crime. How obvious can he get?
I admire Judith Miller. It's people like her that make the U.S. great, not the government (that's for sure!).
posted on September 30, 2005 11:29:11 AM
What else would you expect from such a corrupt group? What I find so funny are all the neocons who still jump up and down over Monicagate. Seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the corruption these neocons support. And they call themselves "christians". If Christians = Hypocrites, then I guess the title suits them.
posted on September 30, 2005 11:51:17 AMI admire Judith Miller
Kraft what do you admire her for? And please dont tell me for her keeping to the 'principle' of a journalist not revealing their sources? (..You know she is going to get a book deal out of this somewhere, right...?)
posted on September 30, 2005 12:24:04 PM
Religion is Public Enemy #1. It became quite evident after years and years of taking religious philosophy through the parochial education system, and it is even more obvious today with both Muslim and Christian extremists leading the death march to "eternal damnation".
I have nothing against spirituality, worship, or meditation. It is when structure begins and then becomes fundamental extremism. This tends to be a prevalent ideology with neoconservatives who think their religious, political, and economic agenda should be forced on others. Ask Ron... he's make it abundantly clear he envisions a global community that is ruled by our government, ruled by the American dollar, and ruled by American ideals.
The most common problem with this ideology is that they can't see past their own noses and that even includes the hypocrisy of their own actions. Case in point, Tom DeLay. His voting record in America 100% anti-abortion (this is in front of his constituency of course), but on his visit to Saipan to STOP legislation against Saipan's sweatshop and sex industry he made the following comment, "You represent everything that is good about what we are trying to do in America". This shows just how hypocritical these neocons are. Yet, the very industry DeLay was there to support has notoriously promoted FORCED ABORTIONS on women workers who get pregnant. Ask DeLay's supporters about this, and they change the subject to something like, Linda's "you call me names".
[ edited by rustygumbo on Sep 30, 2005 12:26 PM ]
posted on September 30, 2005 01:12:34 PM
Hi Double! I admire her for her style of jouranlism - same as I do Bob Woodward. I admire their sense of ethics and clean reporting instead of trying to push their own political agenda into their reports, imo. The fact that she wouldn't reveal her source only adds to my admiration for her.
posted on September 30, 2005 01:39:28 PM
I would venture it took him that long because he knows what's going to happen to him now. Knowing that Bush & Co. as well most of the neocon movement is probably going to immediately go into a smear campaign against you & do their best to make your life hell would be enough to make anyone hesitate.
Props to him for making the decision so that Miller wouldn't be punished further for doing what she is supposed to do.
____________________
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
posted on September 30, 2005 01:42:49 PM
Hey all looks like most of the NEOCON CON-SERVATIVES on this board are waiting to see what the G.O.P.'s spin is before replying.
I am wondering if the (OH SO CHRISTIAN) right to life bunch has thought about how many Americans the CON-servatives Law Makers have killed by putting people into poverty without health insurance!!!!!!
Then we have defogger worrying about a book deal. WHAT A PATHETIC WEAK RESPONSE to a serious problem.
ALMOST EVERYDAY NOW BUSH AND HIS GANG OF CROOKS ARE BEING EXPOSED.
posted on September 30, 2005 03:19:42 PM
God and Reverend Colin Love George W. Bush. He's a true American. I stand behind my President and my Country.
Unlike a lot of you Socialist Democrats.
Your goal is not to advance freedom and Liberty but to crush it so you can have the same things as everyone (the working public) has earned. A free house, free food, free medical coverage, free education (for even idiots)and a free personality.
You can get most of these things now from the government. All except the personality.
That’s something that can't be given to you. Wait a minute. You can't be given honor, trust, integrity, loyalty and quite a few things. You may want to look these things up and see where you can find them.
posted on September 30, 2005 03:26:58 PM
"God and Reverend Colin Love George W. Bush. He's a true American. I stand behind my President and my Country. "
ROTFLMAO!!! You continue to stand behind both the President and this Country. Perhaps you could also direct your strong opinions towards Bear as well. Bear is looking for some government handouts to help offset gasoline prices in their area. Seems as though the neocons are always first in line for the freebies, never wanting to do what is best for this country, only for themselves.
posted on September 30, 2005 03:29:38 PM
Listen to yourself for a moment Rev "D".
You've yet to address the topic of this post. The bottom line is lots of hardworking, tax paying wage earners think this administration is a pile of crap.
posted on September 30, 2005 07:59:35 PM
I am wondering how many CIA operatives found themselves behind the 8 ball or outed or even dead because of the FOOLS in this White House.
If Colin stands behind members of this White House outing CIA people for political reasons then he should vote CON-servative again. In my view the CON-servative base are the true ANTI-AMERICANS.
The second bottom line is, lots of hardworking people that worked and paid taxes all their lives but are now old,sick and poor think this administration is a pile of crap.
posted on September 30, 2005 08:22:35 PM
Who's to say just whom is telling the truth. Just because it was someone in the White House doesn’t mean they are telling the truth. They could be commie troublemakers, Liberal, You know..
Lewis "Scooter" Libby?? Just what was said? Could it have been out of context?
I'm sure we'll find out shortly. Of course you Bush haters have already hung him. So much for fair play.
Your like a group of rats that have been cornered. Dangerous but small compared to a pair of engineer boots.
posted on September 30, 2005 08:29:15 PM
It's not just a matter of Agents that were burned, it's also a question of contacts. People that she dealt with regularly that were fed her intelligence and now thanks to the leak may have been revealed to their groups or leery of trusting again. How many possible future contacts are lost in what is most importantly an intelligence game because the upper echelon of this administration lied to the public and then needed to bunk their accuser.
People can stand behind Bush and say he's the greatest thing since sliced bread but just how do you justify that president and vice presidents chiefs of staff burned intelligence sources?
BTW - is anyone really buying that when Chief of staff of both the President of the United States and the Vice President set out to smear someone that neither one ever receives any information regarding the employment of that persons spouse? Does anyone actually believe that the background check does not include that information?
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on September 30, 2005 08:40:32 PM
Colin - the claim is not that they didn't say anything. the claim is that when they were talking to these reporters, trying to discredit her husband and mentioned that she was in the CIA, that they didn't know she was a CIA agent.
Here's how I see it. They are either blatant liars or they/their intelligence sources are blatantly inept.
Here's a guy that came out and stated that when they White House claimed that they had proof that Iraq was attempting to purchase nuclear materials from Nigeria that they new the information they were offering as proof was false. They were trying to clean up a huge PR nightmare and they were doing it by trying to discredit their accuser. If you are going to do something like that you run a background check and try to find all the dirt you can dig up. Now, if her status as covert agent was not made known to the chief of staff of the president and the vice president, what does that say about our intelligence resources.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
..."In a blistering report, the investigators, from the Government Accountability Office, said the administration had disseminated "covert propaganda" in the United States, in violation of a statutory ban."
..."The report also sharply criticized the Education Department for telling Ketchum Inc., a public relations company, to pay Mr. Williams for newspaper columns and television appearances praising Mr. Bush's education initiative, the No Child Left Behind Act."
..."The television news segments on education and on Medicare did not state that they had been prepared and distributed by the government. The G.A.O. did not say how many stations carried the reports."
..."The failure of an agency to identify itself as the source of a prepackaged news story misleads the viewing public by encouraging the audience to believe that the broadcasting news organization developed the information. The prepackaged news stories are purposefully designed to be indistinguishable from news segments broadcast to the public. When the television viewing public does not know that the stories they watched on television news programs about the government were in fact prepared by the government, the stories are, in this sense, no longer purely factual. The essential fact of attribution is missing."
..."Congress tried to clarify the ban on "covert propaganda" in a bill signed by Mr. Bush in May. The law says that no federal money may be used to produce or distribute a news story unless the government's role is openly acknowledged."
____________________
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." -- George W. Bush
posted on October 1, 2005 02:16:32 PM
bunnicula
Like you say it just keeps coming.
FRIST STOCK TIMELINE
Comment on the Frist timeline HERE.
1999
SEPTEMBER 13 – FRIST LEADING GOP HEALTH CARE AGENDA, MAINTAINS THAT HCA STOCK DOES NOT CREATE CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Frist’s key role this year in blocking President Clinton’s “patients’ bill of rights” proposal has brought new questions from Democrats and even some Republicans about whether the senator has a conflict of interest in health policy issue…[Frist] acknowledges, however, he is aware that the money remains invested in Columbia/HCA, and he has reported the holdings and the income they produce in annual Senate financial disclosure reports…Frist rejects suggestions that he has any conflict of interest..[h]is background and connections, he says, are an asset when Congress deals with health care. [USA Today, 9/13/1999]
2000
DECEMBER – FRIST’S HOLDINGS IN HCA VALUED BETWEEN $5 MILLION AND $25 MILLION: “The value of HCA stock in Frist’s trusts at the end of 2000 was between $5 million and $25 million, according to a disclosure he filed with the Senate ethics committee when he established the accounts.” [Bloomberg, 9/23/05]
2002
MAY 16 – TRUSTEE TELLS FRIST HE PURCHASED $750K TO $1.5 MILLION IN HCA STOCK: “On May 16, 2002, Scobey advised Frist that four investments were contributed to a Frist blind trust, including HCA stock valued at $500,000 to $1 million. A second letter the same day mentions the same four investments going into a different trust, but with different valuations, including HCA stock valued at $250,000 to $500,000.” [BusinessWeek, 9/24/05]
DECEMBER 23 – FRIST BECOMES MAJORITY LEADER [Office of Sen. Bill Frist]
2003
EARLY JANUARY – TRUSTEE TELLS FRIST 15K-50K OF HCA STOCK HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTED TO TRUST: “Just two weeks before those [January 2003] comments, the trustee of the senator’s trust, M. Kirk Scobey Jr., wrote to Frist that HCA stock was contributed to the trust. It was valued at $15,000 and $50,000.” [BusinessWeek, 9/24/05]
LATE JANUARY – FRIST SAYS IT IS “ILLEGAL” FOR HIM TO KNOW THE COMPOSITION OF HIS BLIND TRUST: “Well, I think really for our viewers it should be understood that I put this into a blind trust. So as far as I know, I own no HCA stock…I have no control. It is illegal right now for me to know what the composition of those trusts are. So I have no idea.” [BusinessWeek, 9/24/05]
FRIST CHAMPIONS MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BILL THAT DIRECTLY BENEFITS HCA, REFUSES TO SELL HCA STOCK: “Although he himself is said to have put his large interest in HCA into a blind trust (with the approval of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics), it still remains true that whatever is good for HCA is good for Bill Frist. And it is undeniable that Medicare policies affect the fortunes of the company. Yet Frist has become an important voice on health policy in the Senate, and now that he is majority leader, his influence will grow.” [American Prospect, 2/1/03]
2004
APRIL – FRIST LEADS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE REFORM EFFORTS; REFUSES TO SELL HCA STOCK AFTER CONSUMER GROUP FILES ETHICS COMPLAINT: “A California-based consumer group asked a Senate panel Tuesday to bar Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist from participating in the current debate over medical malpractice reform because of his ties to the nation’s largest for-profit hospital chain. The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights said HCA, Inc., the Nashville-based hospital chain founded by Frist’s father and older brother, and its malpractice insurance subsidiary would benefit financially from Frist-backed legislation to limit liability…” [Gannett, 4/06/04]
2005
JUNE 10 – 6 HCA INSIDERS COMPLETE 10-DAY, $18.6 MILLION STOCK SALE: “From June 1 to June 10, six insiders sold a total of 341,300 shares valued at $18.6 million, according to Thompson Financial.” [WSJ, 9/24/05]
JUNE 13 – FRIST TELLS TRUSTEE TO SELL ALL HIS SHARES OF HCA: “According to Frist’s office, the senator decided to sell all his HCA stock — held in blind trusts managed by two companies for him, his wife and his children — on June 13.” This is only permitted under Senate rules if Frist had assumed (or was going to assume) new “duties.’ [Washington Post, 9/24/05; Senate Ethics Manual, page 339]
JUNE 22 – HCA HITS 52-WEEK HIGH OF $58.40:HCA stock had increased 47% in the previous year. [Yahoo Finance; Bloomberg, 9/23/05]
JULY 1 – SALE OF FRIST SHARES COMPLETED [Business Week]
JULY 13 – HCA WARNS OF WEAKENING EARNINGS; STOCK LOSES 9% OF VALUE: “[T]he stock’s price dropped 9 percent in a single day because of a warning from the company about weakening earnings.” The stock was down 15% from the June 22 high. [Washington Post, 9/24/05; Yahoo Finance; Motley Fool]
SEPTEMBER 20 – FRIST CLAIMS HE SOLD THE SHARES TO “AVOID ANY APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST”: Amy Call, Sen. Frist’s spokeswoman said, “To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest Senator Frist went beyond what ethics requires and sold the stock.” [AP, 9/20/05]
SEPTEMBER 22 – FRIST’S OFFICE REVEALS SEC IS INVESTIGATING HIS HCA STOCK SALE [Office of Sen. Frist, 9/22/05]
SEPTEMBER 23 – HCA REVEALS IT HAS SUBPEONED BY DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REGARDING FRIST STOCK SALE: “Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are looking into Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s sale of stock in HCA at a time when insiders at the hospital operating company were also selling off shares.” [AP, 9/23/05]
We can all start getting rid of this corruption by voting out CON-servative House Members in the 2006 Elections.
[ edited by bigpeepa on Oct 1, 2005 02:39 PM ]
