MSNBC- Bush Interviewed by Prosecutor in CIA Leak

[Rose Siding]

for more than an hour this morning at the WH with his personal attorney present.

no link yet. David Gregory reporting.

[jackstraw45]

1. With the Cheney ruling this morning...

how can any of us expect justice in this case?

[alfredo]

18. don't worry, it is not the end of the case.

It has been sent back to the lower court because the court thought it was too broad.

[ewagner]

2. Good start!

"Spread him on the record" and compare other testimony.......

can you say perjury?

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[Nevernose]

11. You mean like every other witness and/or defendant?

Oops: meant to be a reply to post four.
Ain't gonna happen. Although if he lies to the prosecutor, it's obstruction (Martha Stewart), that's really kind of a "nothing" crime, and certainly nothing will come of it. Besides, his lawyer probably told him not to answer anything anyway, or his answers were so vague that they were nonsensical.

[Octafish]

15. OT: Is that Barry Sanders with Kinky Friedman?

The other fella I recognize for sure.



Just curious.

[Nevernose]

16. Three guys that you would NEVER thinkto see in the same room:

Will Smith, Bill Clinton, and Kinky Friedman.

[Octafish]

35. Thanks, Argumentus!

Guy learned to play as a child,
running away from his brother.

[geek tragedy]

26. A jury sent Martha to the big house

I think Shrubbie should do time in Oz.

[Sagan]

3. Justice would be nice...

But all we really need are indictments..

Hell, Chimpy's going to pardon the guilty parties anyway.

[yellowcanine]

4. He needs to be before the Grand Jury - WITHOUT his lawyer.

Otherwise there will be no confidence that it isn't a whitewash.

[colonel odis]

oh my god, could you imagine that poor ignoramus before a grand jury

without someone to help him out? he'd crack inside of five minutes and be in the fetal position crying before they asked him his full name.

[progressivebydesign]

25. I wish. Actually, he'd joke and wink and smirk his way through it...

Just as he did with the 9/11 Commission. A combo of joking, teasing, and bravado. Just as he always does.

[progressivebydesign]

24. The dragged Clinton through the mud publically over a blow job!

And Bush? He gets a friendly "interview" with his lawyer present, behind closed doors. I guess when you make all the rules, and control D.C., you can get away with anything. Stories like these are a reminder that the Senate and Congressional races are almost MORE important than the White House this election year... without at least two of those elections going our way, we're still at their mercy.

[Rose Siding]

5. I'm still not finding any link

Gregory was reading the report in fits and starts- I don't think they have much on it yet. He mentioned the name of the prosecutor (Fitzgerald, I believe) and they remarked on how this story comes and goes with bits of details and activity.

edit- there was some speculation by many that Josh Marshalls hints of "tectonic plates" shifting had something to do with this case.

[jackstraw45]

6. God forbid these media whores do any INVESTIGATING themselves...

Instead they wait for the White House to feed them information.

And we wonder why the corporate media is slanted?

[VolcanoJen]

34. I'm one of those who speculates!

I'm almost 75% convinced that Josh's cryptic "shifting of tectonic plates in Washington" has everything to do with the developing Plame story.

:D

[maddezmom]

7. link here :)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=7&u=/nm/20040624/ts_nm/bush_leak_probe_dc

[Rose Siding]

9. Huh! Doesn't say they let him sit on Dick's lap this time

:bounce:

[maddezmom]

10. here's another

~snip~
The president was questioned for 70 minutes in the Oval Office by U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald, who is heading the Justice Department (news - web sites) investigation.


White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush has hired a private attorney, Jim Sharp, a Washington trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor.


"The leaking of classified information is a very serious matter," McClellan said, adding that the president repeatedly has said that he wants his administration to cooperate with the investigation. "He was pleased to do his part."


Investigators want to know who leaked the name of Valerie Plame, an undercover CIA operative, to syndicated columnist Robert Novak last July. A federal grand jury in recent months has questioned numerous White House and administration officials.

~snip~


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20040624/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_cia_leak

[Rose Siding]

20. A pres at a 70 min meeting called by someone else

That's something. I'll bet they were working on arranging it way back when we first heard about the atty being contacted.

You can ask a lot of questions in 70 minutes but they *have* to get him under oath.

[Beetwasher]

8. HooooBoy!!!!

The end game is approaching on this I think!!!

[bear425]

12. I hope you're right! n/t

[shraby]

13. I would think the president would be

the last one interviewed. Maybe we'll hear something soon about indictments.

[lancdem]

21. Yes, it is

[Rose Siding]

14. Nora O'donnell with new details

Bush attorney Jim Sharp...More detailed report, billed as "Flash News".

Not under oath- not clear interview precludes appearance before grand jury....press secretary said pres was "pleased and glad" to do this interview...asked if VP had interview- no answer...asked content- did pres answer questions?...no ans...Recorded?...no ans...good ol Scotty...

So Sharp has officially been retained.

[SoCalDem]

19. Recorded?? That'll be the day.. This gang acts like there is NO

way to memorialize an "investigative moment" unless a steno pad and pencil is involved.. That way they can claim that they were "misquoted or misunderestimated"...

I want VIDEO dammit.. I want to see that weasel sweat..

[calimary]

23. Yeah, I noticed that, too. Sharp has been officially retained.

Gettin' good! And yes, I, too, have noticed the speculation about what Josh Marshall was alluding to in "Talking Points Memo" before he went on vacation. Something involving this might fit ("...shifting of the tectonic plates in this capitol city where I hang my hat"). But then again, SO many investigations, and so little time.

Last we'd heard from the White House, bush had consulted a personal attorney in case he might need one at some point, but not yet hired anyone. NOW, that personal attorney evidently HAS been hired. Apparently someone in there has concluded by now that bush NEEDS an attorney. For whatever reason.

[hang a left]

43. If it was a deposition, then * could have an attorney present.

And there would be a court reporter transcript as well. I would imagine that he received a subpoena to be deposed, that is why he consulted with Sharp. Sharp probably negotiated the terms under which * would be questioned.

Boy, they sure kept this one quiet.

[jayfish]

17. Bu, Bu, But... I Thought Bush Didn't Hire A Personal Attorny,...

he only "consulted" with one. More lies that will never be called on by the "liberal" media. These people are pathological liars. No matter the issue, big or small, they cannot tell the truth. When it looks like they will be forced to do so they turn to their cronies in the Judicial and Legislative branches.

Jay

[montanacowboy]

22. So he gets "interviewed" in the comfort

of the oval office, not under oath, he can lie his ignorant head off, and then what?

they get away with Everything...don't count on this folks, don't count on anything.

[Rose Siding]

27. I think it's significant enough to be *a little* hopeful

The last time a pres had to take a mtg called by someone else it led to an impeachment. When you balance the topics (bogus vs threat to nat'l security) against repub power it must come close to a wash.

Cautious optimism, here.

[Ganja Ninja]

29. I don't think he will be impeached.

What I'm hoping for is that he will be threatened with impeachment if he doesn't withdraw from the 04 election.

[Rose Siding]

28. McClellan wouldn't say Bush didn't have info about the leak

snip>
Mr. McClellan, who said he was not in the meeting, was asked if Bush had any information about who leaked Ms. Plame's name. “That's just getting into questions that are best directed to the officials in charge of the investigation. I would not read anything into that one way or the other. This is an ongoing investigation.”

http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040624.wbush0624/BNStory/International/

Doesn't it seem like that would be an easy one to deny if it were deniable?

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

30. to be fair ...

McClellan is caught in a p.r. vise here. As one who has already been summoned to talk to the grand jury, he is not really in a position to ferret out information about the specifics of Bush's "visit" this morning. Remember that McClellan needs to keep his own story straight.

[Rose Siding]

32. when you put it that way

Sounds like he has a conflict of interest and should be replaced.

[Dr Fate]

31. Why wasnt this TELEVISED like Clinton?

Bias.

[lancdem]

33. Patrick Fitzgerald isn't Ken Starr

and I mean that in a good way. He's conducting the investigation with virtually no leaks, which maintains its integrity.

[gatlingforme]

38. RIght, and he won't leak a thing either.... He is one great guy,,,

he likes to have his ducks in a row. and then he will stomp on the son of a bi*** like you have never seen, George Ryan can attest to that LOL

[msanthrope]

36. Not under oath?

If it wasn't under oath, then is it part of the official grand jury record?

Was it recorded at all, or did Fitz just take notes?

Is it available to the grand jury?

Can it be FOIA'ed?

I wonder how many times the President took the 5th.

[ignatius]

37. Took the 5th or drank the 5th?

n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

39. kick

:kick:

[nolabels]

40. Maybe that's why Secret Dick was a little frosty too

&imgrefurl=http://www.math.utah.edu/~c-cje1/html/photo.html&h=333&w=221&sz=15&tbnid=zYu5T16SkVwJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=76&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSnowman%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG

[Snazzy]

41. WaPo Friday

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3668-2004Jun24.html

Page two today, have to go see what's on page one that this can't fit. They totally softball Novakula, and, reading it again, most everything else. Work in some clenis for good measure. Susan Schmidt author.

The frog marches on!

:bounce:

[Snazzy]

42. NYT better

...

That Mr. Fitzgerald had reached the point of questioning Mr. Bush was the strongest indication yet that he is close to completing the six-month inquiry, according to several lawyers involved in the case. The lawyers said the prosecutor was unlikely to have interviewed either Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney until the final phase of the investigation, knowing that he would probably have only one opportunity to question them.

Legally, the interview was informal. Mr. Bush was not questioned under oath, but he did remain under an obligation to testify truthfully and, technically if not practically, he remained liable to be charged with a false statement if prosecutors found he had failed to answer completely or honestly.

Mr. Fitzgerald, according to some lawyers in the case, is now likely to move into a quiet period of several weeks to weigh the accumulated evidence and consider whether to charge anyone with a crime.

....

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/25/politics/25bush.html

[Dr Fate]

44. He should go under oath on TV & clear his name...

...or "let the chips fall where they may"...