Fleischer Received Immunity in Plame Leak
The muck continues to thicken in the Valerie Plame leak case. Three years ago, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was approached by former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who offered him information in exchange for immunity from prosecution. “Once the deal was struck in February 2004, Fleischer revealed that he had discussed Plame with reporters in July 2003, days before leaving his job at the White House.” Fleischer is expected on the stand early next week. (AP)
Cheney Personally Led Wilson Rebuttal Efforts
Vice President Dick Cheney “personally orchestrated his office’s 2003 efforts to rebut allegations that the administration used flawed intelligence to justify the war in Iraq and discredit a critic who Cheney believed was making him look foolish, according to testimony and evidence yesterday in the criminal trial of his former chief of staff.” (The Washington Post)
Pelosi: Bush Didn’t Consult Me
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) said Wednesday that President Bush didn’t consult her before announcing his new Iraq strategy. She also expressed skepticism toward Bush’s confidence in the troop surge. “I asked him at the White House, ‘Mr. President, why do you think this time it’s going to work?’ And he said, ‘Because I told them it had to.'” (CBS News)
Cheney Pressured Intel Committee Chair to Stall Iraq Findings
Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said yesterday that Cheney applied “constant” pressure on Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), former chair of the committee, to stall the investigation into the administration’s use of flawed Iraq intelligence. (McClatchy Newspapers)
White House: No Witch Hunts, Please
“The Bush administration will cooperate with investigations by the new Democratic Congress on issues such as Iraq and the treatment of detainees, but hopes the hearings do not turn into ‘witch hunts,’ a top White House official said on Thursday.” (Reuters)
Feinstein’s Had Ethics Problems of Her Own
Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Cali.), the newly appointed chair of the Senate Rules Committee, has for several years had an ongoing conflict of interest problem: “As chairperson and ranking member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON) from 2001 through the end of 2005, Feinstein supervised the appropriation of billions of dollars a year for specific military construction projects. Two defense contractors whose interests were largely controlled by her husband, financier Richard C. Blum, benefited from decisions made by Feinstein as leader of this powerful subcommittee.” (Metroactive)
Government Trying to Squirm Out of Surveillance Lawsuit
Yesterday, the Justice Department filed court papers arguing that a lawsuit challenging the legality of the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program should be thrown out. Justice is claiming that, since the program has since been placed under the purview of a secret intelligence court, the case “no longer has any live significance.” (The Washington Post)
Fox News to Air Controversial 9/11 Documentary Segment
“In a move that could rekindle a heated political debate, Fox News said Thursday that it planned to broadcast footage from ABC’s controversial miniseries ‘The Path to 9/11’ that was edited out of the docudrama amid criticism that it inaccurately portrayed the Clinton administration’s response to the terrorism threat.” (LA Times)
Tancredo Wants to End Race-Based Caucuses
Conservative Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a presidential aspirant, said Thursday that raced-based groups like the Congressional Black Caucus encouraged segregation and should be eliminated. (AP)
Big Oil Won’t Go Needy
On January 18, the House voted to cut $14 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for the oil and gas industry, but failed to eliminate a “billion-dollar handout to a research consortium that includes publicly traded companies that reaped $100 billion in profits in 2005.” (TomPaine.com)
