Bush & Rove: Above The Law?

In 2003 Joseph Wilson wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times suggesting that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq.

We have proof now thanks to the leaked Downing Street Memo that Mr. Wilson was entirely correct.

However, to keep the truth under wraps, a message of retaliation was sent by this White House and Mr. Wilson was punished for telling the truth about what he knew.

Mr. Wilson's wife was outed as an undercover CIA agent five days later. Her identity revealed, Valerie Plame's life was not only placed in danger, but her career was ruined.

Leaking the identity of a covert CIA agent is a felony. Because of the seriousness of this leak, President Bush was pressured into saying that the person who had leaked Ms. Plane's identity would be found and brought to justice. (Much as he pledged Osama Bin Laden would be brought to justice.) Meanwhile, President Bush insisted no one in the Administration was responsible.

Now Time Magazine has turned over its notes and e-mail confirming that Karl Rove is - and was - the source of the leak.

Rove's own lawyer, Robert Luskin, confirmed that it was Rove who spoke with the reporter who broke the story on Plame and revealed her identity.

It should be no surprise that President Bush has declined to comment. Neither has he fired Rove nor withdrawn Rove's security clearances despite the fact that Rove jeopardized the life of a CIA operative and compromised our national security.

It should come as no surprise that Rove's attorney has had the gall to say his client "did nothing wrong."

We have waited two years for what we knew but could not prove to come out: that Bush's White House punishes and stifles the press in order to lead the American public around by the nose like a blind ass.

Karl Rove must be fired. He must go to jail. But if Bush won't do it, don't be surprised.

The truth is that President Bush's White House is far worse than Nixon's White House.

Besides following in the steps of Nixon, it also appears that President Bush is following in the steps of France's President Mitterrand who directed the terrorist bombing of Greenpeace's Rainbow Warrior and then denied any involvement while maintaining he would leave no stone unturned in "searching for the criminals."

Nixon was a criminal and a liar. Mitterrand was a criminal and a liar. The fact that they were Presidents is irrelevant.

The question is: Is Bush also a criminal and a liar? He says he relied on faulty intelligence to enter the war in Iraq. We can't prove otherwise - yet.

But did he know and allow Rowe to out Valerie Plame as White House strategy to silence the truth?

If he does not fire Rove and fire him soon, only one conclusion can be reached: he knew all the time, he condoned it and now he is hoping that ignoring the truth will make it go away.

Presidents and governments cannot be above the law. If Bush will not fire Rove, it is time for impeachment.

Bush led us to war on lies. He is responsible for 100,000 Iraqi deaths, over 1700 American deaths and 40,000 men and women who have suffered horrible injuries resulting in severe disabilities. Yet he has no exit strategy and doesn't want one.

Bush does nothing to secure our borders but has created a breeding ground for terrorists in Iraq. Bush is crushing us with debt and lowering our standard of living. Bush is destroying our forests, air and water by changing environmental regulations and giving lumber companies the rights to clear cut in National Parks. And he has made his White House the most secretive in our history.

Bush is the most anti-American President we have ever had. He is certainly the most destructive to our institutions - including our military - as well as our environment and people. And if he doesn't make good on this one measly promise to get rid of the person who leaked Plame's name, it must be the beginning of his end.

Eventually all the dirt has to come out. All the lies and treachery he has practiced in the undoing of our country for his own political ends must eventually be revealed.

I predict the case for impeachment will grow. He's more than earned it. The proof is just waiting to be outed.