McClellan (live now on CNN): Bush’s leaks of classified information in national interest, non-Bush leaks hurt America.

Sitting here watching the McClellan early afternoon briefing. Here’s another question. The White House argument is that President made a decision that such-and-such information needed to be heard by the American people. McClellan just said it was “provided to the American people.” But he didn’t provide it to the American people. He provided it to Judy Miller. Legal or not, it was by definition a ‘leak’ since it was revealed anonymously to a single reporter. How does that wash? What is the rationale?

Also, remember how the administration earlier refused to declassify parts of the NIE that cast doubts on the president’s assertions about Iraqi WMD.

This from former Sen. Graham’s oped from the Post back in November …

There were troubling aspects to this 90-page document. While slanted toward the conclusion that Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction stored or produced at 550 sites, it contained vigorous dissents on key parts of the information, especially by the departments of State and Energy. Particular skepticism was raised about aluminum tubes that were offered as evidence Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program. As to Hussein’s will to use whatever weapons he might have, the estimate indicated he would not do so unless he was first attacked.

Under questioning, Tenet added that the information in the NIE had not been independently verified by an operative responsible to the United States. In fact, no such person was inside Iraq. Most of the alleged intelligence came from Iraqi exiles or third countries, all of which had an interest in the United States’ removing Hussein, by force if necessary.

The American people needed to know these reservations, and I requested that an unclassified, public version of the NIE be prepared. On Oct. 4, Tenet presented a 25-page document titled “Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Programs.” It represented an unqualified case that Hussein possessed them, avoided a discussion of whether he had the will to use them and omitted the dissenting opinions contained in the classified version. Its conclusions, such as “If Baghdad acquired sufficient weapons-grade fissile material from abroad, it could make a nuclear weapon within a year,” underscored the White House’s claim that exactly such material was being provided from Africa to Iraq.

Shorter Bush: Classification is a tool of my political strategy.

In the context of McClellan’s endless lies about what happened in the lead-up the Iraq war, is it time to have an actual investigation into that? Not one controlled by a senator (Sen. Roberts, R-KS) getting daily guidance from the White House. Not one by a presidential commission placed in the impossible role of investigating the president. But a real, independent investigation.

Rep. Frelinghuysen’s (R-NJ) letter defending the DeLay Rule back in the day.

Sorry, David, you got spun.

Yesterday, we flagged what David Gregory said on Hardball.

Now we’ve got the transcript in which Gregory repeats the endlessly refuted GOP canard that Joe Wilson said Dick Cheney ‘ordered’ the trip to Niger …

The point here is that Wilson alleges that the trip was set up essentially by the vice-president, that Cheney knew that he was going and knew of his findings. So the vice-president did have a personal interest in saying, Whoa, that was not the case. And in fact, that was not the case, that the vice-president ordered him to go or arranged the trip. And there`s a big controversy about whether he was ultimately briefed on the results.

If you’re not familiar with the backstory, here’s a detailed de-bamboozlement.

The short version is that Republicans came up with a fake version of what Wilson said so that they could refute it. Classic strawman argument.

From an email that went out this morning to HUD employees …

HUD employees interested in helping the Iraqi people to govern themselves and rebuild their economy may soon have an opportunity. The State Department is seeking motivated, permanent Federal employees from around the government to serve our nation at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad for one-year terms.

HUD is planning a presentation by State Department representatives for later this month, which will provide details on positions available, benefits of serving, and what life is like today in Iraq. HUD will also present an Iraq Service Recognition Package that will list additional compensation benefits.

If you have an interest in learning more about this opportunity and commitment, please notify *******.

This is a unique opportunity to serve our country and to help shape a free, more secure and prosperous Iraq. There are few such opportunities in life to make a lasting impact and contribution to history. We encourage you to consider this exciting opportunity.

Late this afternoon, I called up HUD spokesman Jerry Brown to find out more.

When I asked if this is the first time such an email for Iraq volunteers had been sent out or whether they were annual, he said “Sure, any time there’s been a disaster.” He went on to mention Katrina, flooding in the Dakotas, etc.

When I reiterated that I meant specifically a request for HUD volunteers to serve in Iraq, he said that this was the first time such a request had been sent out to HUD employees.

(ed.note: The contact information in the second to last graf was deleted by TPM. We contacted the person in question, who referred us to Mr. Brown.)

Late Update: Folks in the Department of Commerce seem to have received a similar email.

In a late update to the post below about the HUD Iraq email, I noted that a similar email had gone out to employees in the Department of Commerce. The Commerce email mentioned two positions opening up.

The first was for a “trade development specialist.” The second was …

Public Affairs – Global Outreach (GO) Team

Commerce Employee detailed to Department of State’s Iraq Reconstruction
Management Office

Report to U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer

Open to Commerce Permanent Career and Political Public Affairs
Professionals

Multiple positions available – 3 to 12 month assignments

Language: not required

Position Description: GO Team members generally will serve in Iraq on a three-month rotational basis; some members may be detailed or assigned to Baghdad for a full year. Supervises all media aspects of news conferences, press events, media day trips and media interaction with all high level U.S. visitors including Congressional Delegations. Coordinates media day trips highlighting reconstruction projects and progress in governance at the provincial level. Works with Iraqi Government officials at the local level to develop, plan and implement media events showcasing progress in various regions of Iraq. Develops relationships with American press corps, International press, Regional Arabic press, US and Coalition Military Forces, and the Iraqi press to help facilitate media coverage of events throughout Iraq.

GO Teams will consist of 8-12 persons whose focus is building a sustained capability to facilitate media coverage throughout Iraq, building upon the success of three previous iterations of Public Diplomacy “Surge Teams.” Go Teams will supplement US Embassy Baghdad’s Public Affairs Office, work in conjunction with MNF-I public affairs officers, and support public affairs outreach activities of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) and Regional Embassy Offices (REOs) located outside of Baghdad.

Passed along without comment.

Barone: K Street Project a step forward for good government; DeLay betrayed by unscrupulous underlings.

Via this blog I found this post on the New Orleans Times-Picayune blog …

Former FEMA director Michael Brown might be joining St. Bernard Parish as a paid consultant.

Brown, who resigned his FEMA post last September in the wake of stinging criticism of the agency’s response to Hurricane Katrina, is expected to visit the parish next week. During his visit, Brown and parish officials will discuss the possibility of the parish contracting with Brown as a guide to help it navigate the bureaucracy of federal storm aid.

Brown now has a consulting business.

St. Bernard Parish President Henry “Junior” Rodriguez said prices have not been discussed to this point, nor have any contracts been entered. Rodriguez and three council members met Brown recently during a trip to Washington, D.C.

Updated Scott Fitzgerald: Second acts are for losers.

Which is it on Rep. Mollohan (D-WV)?

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that “federal prosecutors have opened an investigation of Mr. Mollohan’s finances and whether they were properly disclosed” in response to a complaint filed by the right-wing National Legal and Policy Center.

TPMmuckraker.com’s Paul Kiel called the US Attorney’s office in DC, the spokeswoman confirmed that there was an investigation but declined to give details.

But an article in Saturday’s Times says simply that the US Attorney’s office is ” reviewing the [NLPC] complaint.”

The AP says that the US Attorney’s office refused all comment.

Bloomberg didn’t get its call returned.

Given the politics involved, the difference between reviewing a complaint and launching an investigation based on a complaint is a big one.

It was on the basis of reports that an investigation has been launched that CREW called on Mollohan to temporarily step down from his post as the senior Democrat on the House ethics committee.

Which is it?