Bob Novak Says President Knows Leak Source By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Columnist Bob Novak, who first published the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, says he is confident that President Bush knows who leaked Plame's name. Novak said that "I'd be amazed" if the president didn't know the source's identity and that the public should "bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is." Novak's remarks, reported in the Raleigh, N.C., News & Observer, came during a question and answer session Tuesday after a speech sponsored by the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record) urged Bush to identify Novak's source or to say that he does not know who it is. In 2003, Novak exposed Plame's identity eight days after her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of manipulating prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. In the column disclosing Plame's CIA status, Novak said the sources for his column were two administration officials. The identity of Novak's sources has been one of the secrets in the CIA leak investigation. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, is one of Novak's sources, according to people close to the investigation, but his other source is not publicly known. Novak apparently is cooperating with the criminal investigation of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, though the journalist has never said so. The prosecutor has aggressively pursued contempt of court orders against reporters who have refused to cooperate and Novak is not among those who have become embroiled in court battles in the probe. Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Bush to share the identity of Novak's sources if the president knows. "You are in a position to clear this matter up quickly," Schumer said in a letter to the president on Wednesday. "Unlike Mr. Novak, who can claim an interest in maintaining the confidentiality of his sources, there is no similar privilege arguably preventing you from sharing this information," Schumer wrote. "You have repeatedly suggested that you would like to get to the bottom of this affair," Schumer reminded Bush. "At one point, in 2004, you suggested that anyone who was involved in leaking the name of the covert CIA operative would be fired." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cia_leak_investigation
I believe Fitzgerald is asking the grand jury for an indictment of Rove. It's speculation at this point.
Question then: Can we really blame the president on things Rove advised him on past an election campaign? Hear me out before you blast, please. If I were handing all of my election/re-election imagineering over to one man, and trusting him to do a good job, and then he did. Is it anything but the common human response to further trust this individual? I do know it is more complicated than that. But what if it were you? And you had several other obligation to tend to as the POTUS? Just wondering if that is too much to get a glimpse of, as I know each of you realize that every POTUS in history has had their bad decision moments, and others have had mulitple moments as well, not just our current leader. Who btw, took brave steps today of at least taking full responsibilty on the war - something not every POTUS has admitted when bad turns of events took place under their watch.
Let's say it was understandable that the President trusted Rove. Once it becomes clear that Rove is involved why yank his security clearance. It might be understandable to make a mistake. What is not understandable would be taking any steps at all to correct that mistake. At even the first inclination that Rove was involved he needed to have security clearance removed. Then if it turned out he was indicted of anything get him out of the whitehouse. As of today their hasn't been any accountability. But I do want to point out that all of those are big ifs. We don't know for sure who Novak was referring to.
It doesnt matter. He is entrusted with the security of this country. If something good happens, he gets the credit, if something bad happens on his watch, he takes the blame PERIOD. If you screw up at work, your boss does not want to hear how the maintennance guy messed up or how the dog that you love and trust ate your report. no excuses.
McClelleand denies Bush knows? ********* W.House takes issue with Novak on CIA leak claim Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:31 AM ET10 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House took issue on Thursday with a claim by syndicated columnist Robert Novak that President George W. Bush knows who the source is who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. "I don't know what he's basing it on," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan, declining to comment further. Novak said Tuesday the public and the news media should be asking Bush about the source rather than reporters who received the information. "I'm confident the president knows who the source is," Novak told a luncheon in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. "I'd be amazed if he doesn't." He added: "So I say, don't bug me. Don't bug (Washington Post reporter) Bob Woodward. Bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is." Novak has repeatedly declined to discuss his role in disclosing Plame's identity. It was his column on July 14, 2003, that outed Plame and triggered an ongoing investigation into the leak. Plame's cover at the CIA was blown after her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence to support invading Iraq. Wilson said it was done to undercut his credibility. The two-year investigation, which has reached into the highest levels of the White House, resulted in charges in October of perjury and obstructing justice against Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Libby, who pleaded not guilty, has resigned from the administration. Bush's top political adviser and deputy chief of staff, Karl Rove, was told by prosecutors that he remained under investigation and could still be charged http://today.reuters.com/News/newsA...3148Z_01_SIB555880_RTRUKOC_0_US-BUSH-LEAK.xml
