The Buck Stops There

. . . at the presidential desk.

A quick review:

September 30, 2003 at the University of Chicago, George W. Bush tells reporters than he is shocked, shocked, shocked by the report that SOMEONE in the administration purposely leaked classified information to destroy a CIA Agent's career.

And in his own words:

"Listen, I know of nobody -- I don't know of anybody in my administration who leaked classified information. If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action. And this investigation is a good thing.

"Leaks of classified information are a bad thing,'' Bush said then. "And we've had them -- there's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch, and I've spoken out consistently against them and I want to know who the leakers are."

So who WAS the leaker that he was so upset about?

George W. Bush.

Court papers filed late Wednesday night by Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, in the perjury case of former White House official I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, implicate Bush as knowing about efforts to disseminate sensitive information -- and also as orchestrating them.


The White House has refused to comment directly on the court filing - no surprise there - but a "senior administration office (shall we call him Rove?) points out that Bush's very decision to disclose classified information means he declassified it. No that is a great defense! Bush did not do anything specifically illegal, just unethical and then lied about it.

What does it take to impeach a lying president? Oh, that's right. A blow job. Please, please, some body give George a blow job.

But I digress.

A senior administration official, speaking on background because White House policy prohibits comment on an active investigation (is that not horseshit, or what!), says Bush sees a distinction between leaks and what he is alleged to have done. The official said Bush authorized the release of the classified information to assure the public of his rationale for war as it was coming under increasing scrutiny.

Still, Bush's action stands in stark contrast to his condemnations of the kind of disclosure that the court filing said he authorized.

Let's have that 2003 quote again:

"Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There's leaks at the executive branch, there's leaks in the legislative branch, there's just too many leaks. I want -- and if there's a leak out of the administration, I want to know who it is. And if a person has violated law, the person will be taken care of."

That statement was one of many Bush has made over the past three years condemning leaks of sensitive information! He said he wanted to get to the bottom of the case and fire any leakers because he implicitly accepted that an illegal leak had occurred. That set the impression that anyone involved must have done something wrong. Now the documents suggest he was involved, and it is hard to argue that nothing wrong was done.

Back to you, Karl. Let's see how you dig this pathetic sap out of this hole.