Bush and the Ever-Changing Law

Some really sloppy writing in the blogworld and the Neo-Conservative world (all fascism and fantasy) can't seem to be able to handle the revelation of the origins of the press leak revealing the identity of a CIA operative. On the other hand, as collected by Nashville Is Talking, other bloggers CAN see this shuffling presidential dance to defend itself from a confusion of their own misinformation.

Remember that press briefing where President W. said "if there was a leak, they'd investigate it's origins and those who did it would be held responsible"? Check out this Theatre of the Absurd press briefing from Sept. 2003 regarding the Plame case, where Press Secretary McClellan says:

"There has been absolutely nothing brought to our attention to suggest any White House involvement. All we've seen is what is in the media reports."

So if the indicted V.P. aide Scooter Libby (heh heh, Scooter) testified that the VP Cheney told him that President W. said to release the info and therefore "declassified the information" - then why the hell has federal prosecutor Fitzgerald been led to think by the Prez and his crew that the info was NOT declassified?

From today's WaPo:

"According to Fitzgerald, Libby testified before a grand jury that President Bush and Cheney authorized the release of that information shortly before Libby's meeting with New York Times reporter Judith Miller on July 8, 2003. The information was drawn from the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate prepared by the CIA about Iraq's interest in weapons of mass destruction.

But 10 days later, McClellan told reporters at the White House that the estimate had been "officially declassified today" -- July 18, 2003 -- making no mention of the earlier declassification that Libby described in his sworn testimony. If that statement was correct, reporters pointed out, then the material was still classified at the time Libby disclosed it.

[White House Press Secretary] McClellan yesterday declined to give a detailed explanation for the contradiction, explaining that the White House never comments on pending investigations. But he also tried to clarify his 2003 remarks to reporters, stating that what he meant on July 18 of that year when he said the material had been declassified that day was that it was "officially released" that day.

"I think that's what I was referring to at the time," he said."

Even President W. hisself called the "leaking" of info to the press a "shameful act" via Martini Republic. Um, that is, unless it serves the political purpose of discrediting officials who challenge the policies of a dangerously fumbling administration.

Confused? I do believe that has been this administration's policy.