From The Washington Post, 11/1/05:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2005/11/01/BL2005110100876.html
The White House Stonewall
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
The indictment of Scooter Libby on Friday was not just an
embarrassment for the White House -- it also raised serious questions
about the way President Bush's inner circle does business.
But rather than addressing any of these questions, Bush and his aides
are stonewalling.
Rather than taking steps to rebuild their credibility, they are trying
to change the subject.
Rather than apologize, they are refusing to admit anything is wrong.
And yet something is wrong.
Their credibility is damaged.
And the questions won't go away.
Consider if this was happening anywhere else.
If you ran a company, for instance, and one of your top officers was
indicted by a federal grand jury, would you just act like it hadn't
happened?
Not if you wanted your company to survive.
Bush, in his brief statement about the indictment on Friday, said the
"ongoing legal proceedings are serious," but that "each individual is
presumed innocent and entitled to due process and a fair trial."
He said the news made him sad.
Vice President Cheney, in his statement , was even more combative:
"Mr. Libby has informed me that he is resigning to fight the charges
brought against him. I have accepted his decision with deep regret,"
he said.
Cheney also cited the presumption of innocence, and concluded:
"Because this is a pending legal proceeding, in fairness to all those
involved, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the charges
or on any facts relating to the proceeding."
White House spokesman Scott McClellan has repeatedly refused to answer
any questions on the topic -- citing the presumption of innocence and
the ongoing investigation.
But the presumption of innocence hasn't stopped White House officials
from talking about indictments before -- for instance when it comes to
suspected terrorists.
And answering some basic questions about who knew what when will not
in any way hinder an investigation that, by all accounts, is very
nearly complete.
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Senate forced into closed session on Iraq
From The Associated Press, 11/1/05:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051101/ap_on_go_co/senate_iraq_1
Harry
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