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Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10701
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 9:29 am: | 
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Pretty much lost among the hubbub of the unfortunate shooting incident was a portion of the interview dealing with declassifying information. Cheney claimed that the VP is allowed to do this under certain circumstances and that he had declassified information, but refused to go into details.
Anyone what to bet that this is why nobody has been charged with outing Valerie Plame as a CIA case officer, which is normally classified information?
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kendalbill
Citizen
Username: Kendalbill
Post Number: 92
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 10:06 am: |
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Someone once said that, it isn't what they do that's illegal but what they do that's legal. If Plame's name was actively leaked to press through Libby to discredit a dissenting voice (Wilson) and in the process "out" an agent, it doesn't matter if it is legal-- it is wrong. And if this is the way they handled this criticism, it is any wonder why "alternative" (read:correct) intelligence never made its way to Bush?
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cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 5199
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:16 pm: |
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That's not what Cheney said. That what the press is saying he said. What are the quotes? |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 4366
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:30 pm: |
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Quote:HUME: Let me ask you another question. Is it your view that a vice president has the authority to declassify information?
CHENEY: There is an executive order to that effect.
HUME: There is.
CHENEY: Yeah.
HUME: Have you done it?
CHENEY: Well, I have certainly advocated declassification. I have participated in declassification decisions.
HUME: Have you —
(CROSSTALK)
CHENEY: I don't want to get into that. There's an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously it focuses first and foremost on the president, but also includes the vice president.
Courtesy Fox News. |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 5738
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:30 pm: |
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cjc. Here is a transcript Read it yourself. Its toward the end of the interview and is politicspeak at its best.
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Nohero
Supporter
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 5047
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:31 pm: |
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These are the quotes, from the end of the Fox News interview -
Quote:Q: On another subject, court filings have indicated that Scooter Libby has suggested that his superiors _ unidentified _ authorized the release of some classified information. What do you know about that?
A: It's nothing I can talk about, Brit. This is an issue that's been under investigation for a couple of years. I've cooperated fully, including being interviewed, as well, by a special prosecutor. All of it is now going to trial. Scooter is entitled to the presumption of innocence. He's a great guy. I've worked with him for a long time, have enormous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some point in the case and it's, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case.
Q: Let me ask you another question. Is it your view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?
A: There is an executive order to that effect.
Q: There is.
A: Yes.
Q: Have you done it?
A: Well, I've certainly advocated declassification and participated in declassification decisions. The executive order ...
Q: You ever done it unilaterally?
A: I don't want to get into that. There is an executive order that specifies who has classification authority, and obviously focuses first and foremost on the President, but also includes the Vice President.
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Nohero
Supporter
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 5048
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:33 pm: |
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I guess we all felt like being "super helpy"* today.
*"Helpy" was trademarked by Mr. Reingold, I believe |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10704
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 12:57 pm: |
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Does anyone think that Brit Hume just brought up the subject in an interview that was as tightly choreographed as Swan Lake?
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cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 5200
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 1:10 pm: |
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What were the pre-conditions of the interveiw, Bob K? Hume obviously walked into something Cheney said he couldn't discuss. Was that part of the script too? |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10707
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 1:19 pm: |
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Yep, Cheney was, as the expression goes, laying pipe for future use, or at least that is the way I see it. Time will tell.
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Phenixrising
Citizen
Username: Phenixrising
Post Number: 1422
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 1:27 pm: |
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The darn interview was script and edited for tv viewing.
nuff said. |
Ond
Citizen
Username: Ond
Post Number: 71
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 1:39 pm: |
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I think it’s called "plausible deniability." |
Ily
Citizen
Username: Ily
Post Number: 230
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 1:42 pm: |
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New V.P. power to declassify information:
http://nationalreview.com/york/york200602160841.asp |
chroma
Citizen
Username: Chroma
Post Number: 21
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 3:52 pm: |
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But does it say that anywhere that either the President or Vice can DE-classify information? It doesn't in the National Review article that you posted, and one would think that York would include it if it did, since that would be the relevent issue. |
notehead
Supporter
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 3051
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 4:32 pm: |
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I believe he also said "I can build a castle from a single grain of sand" but he...
...sorry, that's for the Sly Stone thread.  |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1350
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 5:14 pm: |
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York is just a paranoid lefty, right cjc? Just like Cheney never said what he said.
Ahem.
There are only bozos on this bus. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10709
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 5:27 pm: |
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Chroma, I think there is a strong suposistion if you can classify something, you can declassify it as well. Although the rather strange turn of the interview yesterday may have been to reinfoce that point for the future. |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 4367
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 5:40 pm: |
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notey, I'm totally shocked that you would attribute that line to Sly Stone. "I Can't Get Next To You" was a Temptations song! |
Pippi
Supporter
Username: Pippi
Post Number: 1759
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 5:44 pm: |
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if he hasn't already left Big Train, he'd get tossed!
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Pippi
Supporter
Username: Pippi
Post Number: 1760
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 5:45 pm: |
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I meant hadn't - If he HADN'T already left Big Train. But you knew what I meant, dincha Tom?
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Southerner
Citizen
Username: Southerner
Post Number: 683
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 7:04 pm: |
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Didn't somebody say "laying pipe". This is a great board! |
Foj
Citizen
Username: Foger
Post Number: 962
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 9:07 pm: |
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Who is getting laid?
Maybe it was Cheney-- I wonder where Lynn was? |
tom
Citizen
Username: Tom
Post Number: 4369
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 11:18 pm: |
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We might have to post a guard at the door at the Battle Of The Bands, confiscate his ticket, the Philistine. |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 5741
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2006 - 11:42 pm: |
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it was the way Cheney said it that bothered me. It's amazing the difference between what I read in the transcript and the except I heard on the radio.
There is no such thing as a co-president. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10714
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 4:48 am: |
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Duncan, I agree. I also can't figure out how that would come up in context of the interview unless Cheney had a reason.
The talking heads on TV and the newspaper writers are concentrating on the hunting accident. To me the discussion on classification authority was like a big red flag waving in the wind. |
dave23
Citizen
Username: Dave23
Post Number: 1352
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 9:38 am: |
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The fact that Cheney didn't even flinch at the seemingly out of context question makes it pretty obvious they asked Hume to ask the question. Maybe a journalist was working on the story and they wanted to puncture the balloon. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10720
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 - 9:55 am: |
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The NY Daily News of all people picked up on this today. I didn't see anything in the Times. |
Twokitties
Citizen
Username: Twokitties
Post Number: 385
Registered: 8-2004
| | Posted on Monday, February 20, 2006 - 9:00 am: |
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Bob K/Duncan: I didn't think much of it at the time, but I think you are absolutely correct. With Libby pointing to his "Superiors", Cheney is laying the groundwork for his future defense. Which goes something like, "I'm legally allowed to compromise our own covert operatives for political reasons ... so don't politicize this". |
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