"This is a sad day for America.

"Beyond the evidence that the White House manipulated the intelligence
used to justify the war in Iraq, a group of senior White House
officials not only orchestrated efforts to smear a critic of the war,
but worked to cover up this smear campaign. In so doing, they ignored
the rule of law, endangering our national security and the brave men
and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation's
security. I. Lewis Libby was a part of this internal White House
group.

"This is not only an abuse of power, it is an un-American abuse of the
public trust. As Americans, we must hold ourselves and our leaders to
a higher standard. We cannot fear dissent. We cannot fear the truth.
And we cannot tolerate those who do.

"More importantly, we can't ignore the glaring questions this case has
raised about the rationale the Bush Administration used to send us to
war in Iraq, a war that continues. American soldiers are still in
harms way. Over 2,000 brave Americans have lost their lives, thousands
of American soldiers have been wounded, and thousands of American
families have made the ultimate sacrifice. Still, the President has no
plan and no exit strategy. And still he hasn't answered the question,
what are we doing in Iraq and when can our troops come home?

"President Bush faces a serious test of leadership; will he keep his
pledge to hold his Administration to high ethical standards and give
the American people what they deserve, and will he answer to the
American people for these serious missteps?"