John Dean on Bush's Hiring A Personal Outside Counsel For Plame Investig

[maddezmom]

The Serious Implications Of President Bush's Hiring A Personal Outside Counsel For The Valerie Plame Investigation
By JOHN W. DEAN
----
Friday, Jun. 04, 2004

Recently, the White House acknowledged that President Bush is talking with, and considering hiring, a non-government attorney, James E. Sharp. Sharp is being consulted, and may be retained, regarding the current grand jury investigation of the leak revealing the identity of Valerie Plame as a CIA covert operative.

~snip~

According to the Los Angeles Times, Bush explained his action by saying, "This is a criminal matter. It's a serious matter," but he gave no further specifics. White House officials, too, would not say exactly what prompted Bush to seek the outside advice, or whether he had been asked to appear before the grand jury.

Nonetheless, Bush's action, in itself, says a great deal. In this column, I will analyze what its implications may be.

~snip~

The Valerie Plame Grand Jury Investigation

The Plame investigation took a quantum leap in December 2003, when Attorney General John Ashcroft recused himself. Ashcroft's deputy appointed a special counsel, who has powers and authority tantamount to those of the attorney general himself. That means, in practice, that Special Counsel Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the United States Attorney from Chicago, does not report to the Justice Department regarding his investigation. (In this sense, Fitzgerald's position is similar to that of an Independent Counsel under the now-defunct independent counsel statute.)

~snip~

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20040604.html

[ClintonTyree]

1. Yes..............

and Bush PROMISED the American people that there would be an unencumbered and honest investigation to get to the bottom of this immediately. They want to stonewall this until after the election. Let's hope it'll be a moot point, with the Chimp etal. packing their bags and getting the hell out of Washington.
I hope the new administration keeps up the heat afterwards and sends this horde of liars, cheaters and miscreants to prison over this.

[Senior citizen]

2. According to his own rules,

I'm not sure * is entitled to counsel.

[H2O Man]

8. Everyone

is entitled to an attorney in cases having to do with violations of the law. We do not want to come to resemble our enemies .... who are saying that some people do not have the right to an attorney. While I understand the humor in what you are saying, we want to stick to the "high road" .... even here on the underground.

[MasonJar]

15. Well, Padilla apparently does not have that right, so why should

his nemesis, GWstump?

[Skittles]

18. that's not what Senior Citizen is saying

read the SUBJECT LINE.

[physioex]

3. I am soo glad John Dean is around...

To help us deal with an administration that is Worse than Watergate..

[No Mandate Here.]

4. This brings to mind the old adage, that you only ...

see a doctor when you are sick, you only talk with an accountant when you have financial problems, and...

you only hire an attorney when you ARE IN LEGAL TROUBLE!

(sorry if I shouted) (not really)

[physioex]

5. Looks like he found his own trifecta....EOM

[jbfam4]

11. L O L

Your comment is priceless...

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Mountains... Molehills...

Don't everybody get your hopes up. Anyone who gets questioned in this type of grand jury investigation gets a lawyer. Even the President. Any President.

The question here is simply whether or not he gets a White House lawyer, or has to hire his own.

Personally, I kindahope he gets a lousy one. Like the drunks who slept through capital trials in Texas all those years.

Oh, wait... those were court appointed lawyers, paid 25 bucks an hour by the state.

[Dover]

9. He hired an attorney named Jim Sharp.

He is 'outside' counsel, as the article says.

[susu369]

7. What lawyer has Cheney hired?

"It has only become more portentous because now Dick Cheney has also hired a lawyer for himself, suggesting both men may have known more than they let on."

Great article - thanks for posting.

[maddezmom]

10. I think he keeps one on retainer....Terrence O'Donnell

Asked about the leak investigation, Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites)'s office said that if the vice president were to seek counsel on any issue, he would do so with Terrence O'Donnell, a senior partner in the Washington law firm of Williams & Connelly. Cheney has consulted with O'Donnell for years.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&ncid=536&e=7&u=/ap/20040603/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_cia_leak

[susu369]

14. Thanks for that

Wow, you can count on DUer's when it comes to getting information.

[skip fox]

12. Here's the basic question (as I see it) that W. asked:

Can one's silence be considered obstruction? Can you be considered to obstruct an investigation by not volunteering the name of who you know to be the guilty party, especially after you (as President) ordered the entire administration to be forthcoming?

[DainBramaged]

16. The final paragraph took me by surprise

And no, I don't live in a cave. I guess I just didn't absorb the original news.

Suffice it to say that whatever the meaning of Bush's decision to talk with private counsel about the Valerie Plame leak, the matter has taken a more ominous turn with Bush's action. It has only become more portentous because now Dick Cheney has also hired a lawyer for himself, suggesting both men may have known more than they let on. Clearly, the investigation is heading toward a culmination of some sort. And it should be interesting.

THAT in itself is mindboggling. Wonder when this comes to a head, soon, just before the election, or maybe the *ies delay this thing until the end of time.

[rexcat]

17. In the case of the President he has

a moral obligation and he gave an oath to defend and protect the Constitution. Since the Constitution is our basis of law in this country and the outing of an undercover CIA agent is a criminal act and if Bush new of the crime and/or of a cover up I would think that he would be knee deep in dodo. It would be a criminal act not to act upon information, and the President is no exception IMHO (but I am not a lawyer).

[cestmoi]

13. Thanx for this post. I didn't know Dean wrote a column.

This is a very informative article. In these matters someone like Dean offers valuable insight.

[skip fox]

19. Analysis of who leaked: Maybe both Cheney and Bush on obstruction charges!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x54603