Ask the Right Question, Dammit

Elizabeth de la Vega has a wonderfully clear and concise article about Bush and Cheney's involvement in the leak to Judy Miller of information from the National Intelligence Estimate. After outlining the key moments in the build up to the illegal revealing of Valerie Plame's identity, de la Vega notes that we are asking the wrong question about the goings on. The question is not, "Does the pretzelnit have the authority to declassify information?" It is not even, "Is what the pretzelnit did legal?" The correct question, she asserts, is this:

Is a President, on the eve of his reelection campaign, legally entitled to ward off political embarrassment and conceal past failures in the exercise of his office by unilaterally and informally declassifying selected -- as well as false and misleading -- portions of a classified National Intelligence Estimate that he has previously refused to declassify, in order to cause such information to be secretly disclosed under false pretenses in the name of a "former Hill staffer" to a single reporter, intending that reporter to publish such false and misleading information in a prominent national newspaper?

The answer is obvious: No. Such a misuse of authority is the very essence of a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States. It is also precisely the abuse of executive power that led to the impeachment of Richard M. Nixon.

The very essence of a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States. Finally, someone is speaking up. Maybe the journos can get on board now?

Comments

[David]

The GOP held power when Nixon had the Watergate Hotel burgled. They hold power now and Bush outs a CIA officer. Republicans don't need Democrats for enemies!

[jeff]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the MA health care plan.

[The Fat Lady Sings]

And - while Bush was betraying a covert CIA agent, it seems he was also plotting to deny voters their rights. Evidently, some Republican operative blocked Democratic phone banks during the 2002 mid-term elections. His actions have been traced to the White House. What do you want to bet Bush escapes responsibility for this too?