McClellan Testifies About The Plame Saga This Morning

This morning Scott McClellan went before the House Judiciary Committee to tell his tale of what he knew about the Valerie Plame case. His book is currently making millions about his time in the Bush Administration, but at least he came to Congress to talk about what he knows, free of charge. His introduction statement is a bit lengthy, but the end of it is key.

From The House Judiciary Cmte:

My book reflects the only idea of loyalty that I believe is appropriate in democratic government, and that is loyalty to the ideals of candor, transparency and integrity, and indeed to the constitutional system itself. Too often in Washington, people mistakenly think that loyalty to an individual officeholder should override loyalty to basic ideals. This false loyalty is not only mistaken, but can exercise a corrupt influence on government.

I am here because in my heart I am a public servant who, like many Americans, wants to improve the way Washington governs and does not want to see future administrations repeat the mistakes this White House made.

I do not know whether a crime was committed by any of the Administration officials who revealed Valerie Plame’s identity to reporters. Nor do I know if there was an attempt by any person or persons to engage in a cover-up during the investigation. I do know that it was wrong to reveal her identity, because it compromised the effectiveness of a covert official for political reasons. I regret that I played a role, however unintentionally, in relaying false information to the public about it. I’ll do my best to answer any questions on this matter that members of the committee may wish to ask.

Scott, first of all, it is great that you now realize a public servant's loyalty should be to the public and not the tyrant dictator current President. Secondly, unless you were just born yesterday, someone of your position knows that it is illegal and traitorous to reveal the identity of a covert agent, for political reasons or otherwise. The fact that you know it is wrong goes a long way to admitting it is criminal, so perhaps you are just trying to be sly about it.

Have fun in Congress today Scott, watch for Republicans to go at you with avengeance for turning your back on the supreme leader and your party.

What Can McClellan's Testimony Do To Bush?

Yesterday Scott McClellan agreed to testify in front of Congress about the "alleged" abuses of the Bush Administration and the lies that he "unwittingly" advanced to the public that were told to him by scumbags such as Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Of course he has waited years to tell his story, first and foremost to sell a book that will undoubtedly make him a lot of money. He probably thought of (or his attorneys thought of) the consequences of writing this stuff on paper, that some Democratic members of Congress would be interested in getting Scotty's words under oath. Bush and Co. turned their back on him after the book came out, but I have to wonder if McClellan's testimony will mean anything to us.

From The Huffington Post:

McClellan's book "What Happened" detailed the "propaganda campaign" that led up to the Iraq war. His hearing is expected to focus heavily on the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, an episode that McClellan has said was driven by political motivations from within the Oval Office. But the committee could press the former press secretary on other matters within its jurisdiction, including the possible authorization of torture by administration officials (though it remains to be seen how much knowledge McClellan has of that topic).

Earlier on Monday, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers sent an letter to McClellan requesting his testimony.

"I have extended an invitation...after discussions between Committee staff and his attorneys," wrote Conyers. "In his book, Mr. McClellan suggests that senior White House officials may have obstructed justice and engaged in a cover-up regarding the Valerie Plame leak. This alleged activity could well extend beyond the scope of the offenses for which Scooter Libby has been convicted and deserves further attention."

It certainly deserves further attention and it should end with those who broke the law to be put in jail. Yet I doubt any of that will happen. Bush could try to pull his "executive privilege" card but he hasn't. The testimony is supposedly set for the 20th of June, a date that isn't that far off. If Bush isn't worried, then that worries me that anything Scott says will not be able to carry out justice for anyone in the Bush Administration. Karl Rove has taken that privilege and that makes me think he is the one with the hard evidence, not Scotty. He was merely a pawn in the White House's game to con and deceive the American public.

Impeach Gonzales Now!

As Robert Greenwald's film points out, he is guilty of several crimes due to his testimony in front of Congress. False statements, perjury and obstruction of justice can be prosecuted in a court of law. Congress can take the first step and kick his ass to the curb.