June 9, 2003: The President Gets Involved

by emptywheel

On June 8, 2003, George Stephanopolous and Condi Rice had the following exchange:

S: But let me stop you right there, because many in the United States goverment knew before then that this...

R: George, somebody, somebody down may have known. But I will tell you that when this issue was raised with the intelligence community--because we actually do go through the process of asking the intelligence community, Can you say this? Can you say that? Can you say this? -- the intelligence community did not know at that time, or at levels that got to us, that this...

S: But let me show you something here, this is...

R: ...serious questions about this report.

S: [Reads from Kristof's article] That's hardly low level, the vice president's office.

R: Well, the vice president's office may have asked for that report. [snip] ... this particular report, it was not known to us that it was a forgery.

The next day, the very first thing Scooter Libby recorded in his notes was that the President was interested in the Kristof report about the SOTU.

In his grand jury testimony, Libby couldn't provide any details regarding the circumstances of the note, beyond suggesting that he told the Vice President of the President's interest in the issue.

Q. And do you recall what the occasion was that, that you came to learn that the President was interested in the Kristof article?

A. I, I don't. It could be something that somebody said to me that I -- it doesn't mean that I observed it. It may be something someone said to me and I wrote it down.

Q. Any recollection of discussing with the Vice President the interest of the President in the Kristof article?

A. I don't, I don't have a recollection of it.

Q. Did you ever recall talking to the President himself about the Kristof article?

A. No, I don't, I don't think so.

Q. And do you ever recall Vice President Cheney talking to you about the President's interest in the Kristof article in particular?

A. Specifically that? I don't, sir. The way this note is written, I take it to be something that someone told me that I wanted to mention to the Vice President, not something the Vice President said to me.

Q. Okay. And do you have any recollection as to who would have told you that?

A. No, sir. It could have been a senior staff meeting, it could have been 15,or 20 of us gathered. It could have been somebody saying something.

This is, to the best of my knowledge of the evidence we've seen so far, the first involvement of George Bush in the events that led directly to the outing of Valerie Plame. Mind you, OVP had already been responding to it. In mid-May, the CIA sent Eric Edelman some backup information on the Wilson trip. According to Marc Grossman, Libby first asked about Wilson on May 29 (though Libby disputes that and Carl Ford appears to corroborate Libby).

But on June 9, the day Libby records the President expressing an interest in the issue, events start to go into hyperdrive. The fourth item in Libby's notes from that day records the answer Craig Schmall gave Libby (he says in response to a phone request) regarding whether or not there was evidence OVP had received a copy of Wilson's report.

Schmall explained that there was no record of the OVP receiving Wilson's report, but it was used in response to a Donald Rumsfeld request in March 2003 (in case you're wondering, that report was written on March 11, still 8 days before the start of the war).

And then, that same afternoon, Schmall blitzed OVP with more backup on the Wilson trip. At 1:19 PM, Schmall sent Libby a copy of a WINPAC report sent to Rumsfeld outlining the state of the Niger intelligence before the war. At 2:42 PM, Schmall sent a copy of Cheney's briefings from February 13 and 14 2002, showing Cheney inquiring into the Niger allegations and then being told that "we have tasked our clandestine sources ... to seek additional information on the contract." At 3:53, Schmall sent a copy of a report sent to Congress on April 3 summarizing the intelligence relating to the Niger allegations. All of these reports came faxed with the message: "Please pass to Mr. Hannah and Mr. Libby ASAP."

Later that same day, John Hannah wrote a memo to Vice President Cheney, summarizing the Congressional report and attaching an article by Sy Hersh alleging that the forgeries were intentional.

In other words, on the same day that the President first expressed an interest in the allegations in the Kristof article, OVP spends a big part of its day researching the allegations. And sometime that week, Vice President Cheney personally does research and learns--and passes on--that Valerie Wilson worked in CPD.

Of course, much of the bustle later in the week is also preparation to the Pincus article that would be published June 12. The events of June 11, in particular, appear to be Libby's attempt to get CIA to state (presumably in time for the Pincus article) that State and Defense, in addition to OVP, had been interested in the Niger allegations. June 11 is also the day when Cathie Martin writes an email to Libby's assistant Jenny Mayfield asking for time that afternoon to talk about the Pincus article. Even so, Martin doesn't remember the activities of the week to be primarily about the Pincus article.

W This says you had a call on 6/10 and 6/11.

M Correct.

W You were preparing for Pincus's article.

M I don't recollect how it happened.

W do you recollect Pincus came out on June 12.

W Do you recollect that you had the [conversation] before the article came out?

M I don't think I can recollect that. I can't place it there in my memory.

Don't get me wrong. A big part of the flurry of activity is preparation to the Pincus article. But it appears to be preparation to the Pincus article conducted with the urgency created by Bush's distinct interest in the outcome.

As we hear about what a nice guy Libby is tomorrow--from some of the Bush Administration's most important supporters--let's not forget that President Bush was involved in this from the time it started to go nuclear. When the investigation started to close in on Libby, Cheney barely backed off accusing the President of asking Libby to put his head in the meat grinder. Funny, then, that a month before the Plame leak, Libby may have been the one telling Cheney of Bush's interest in the Kristof allegations.

Comments

[Mary]

YES.

Thank you.

[earlofhuntingdon]

My two cents. Cheney feared he was getting caught in a gambit he hadn't fully informed Shrub about, and he had to make sure Shrub followed his lead.

I agree with those who think Cheney runs pretty much the whole WH not under the direct authority of Rove. He knows that only occasionally does Shrub interest himself in any of it. When he does, Cheney's team goes into overdrive to confirm that they control the issue and the way it's framed for Shrub. No independent information should get it to him; if it does, it must never go unrefuted. Signing statements are just the legislative version of a pervasive thought control practiced on a not very curious boy-king.

[Neil]

Woodward and Bernstein are people whose work changed the course of history in our country. These men were motivated to get to the truth of the matter. The facts they revealed gave pause to Americans and as a result, raised the bar on what we expect from our government; government empowered by us to take action on our behalf. Keep digging Emptywheel. Keep digging. Oh yea, and tell your Mom your friends in the intertubes say "hi".

[Katie Jensen]

Well, I can say emphatically I have waited with bated breath for this kind of article. In part because, in my humble opinion Bush's admonition that "anyone caught leaking classified information would be punished" seems just as indefensible and hollow as Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman," statement.

There has been circumstantial evidence (and just pure reason) "suggesting" that the entire cabal, Rice included,
was aware of this strategy from the get go. I am not one who has been willing to let Cheney go down alone, much less Libby. I am and continue to hold out for the whole conspiracy. But I may have to wait a lifetime.

I just think that lying us into a war and leaking a cia officers name to dump the intell that would have stopped the war is as treasonous as a president can get. I know we are a long, long way from proving that point, but many of us have the gut instinct that this is exactly what occurred.

Thanks as usual. Your posts on this subject stand a cut above the rest and while I get frustrated with having to deal with facts, I appreciate that this is what you do, and this is what makes your information so strong. Sometimes I would prefer to just "infer" their guilt and be done with it. But I know that only the truth will bring our country closer to healing.

[for justice]

I'd encourage you to visit whitehouse.gov for the June 17 , 2003, press briefing with Ari F., in which the former press secretary discusses the president's use of the term "revisionist historians":
"Yesterday, in the President's remarks, he referred to -- he referred it to revisionist historians who are seeming to make the case that Saddam Hussein likely did not have, or did not have, weapons of mass destruction prior to the war. And the President bases that on some of the statements that he has heard where people are expressing doubt about whether or not the intelligence that was provided to the administration, as well as to Congress for many years was accurate intelligence information.

The President has every reason to know that it was, indeed, accurate, just as previous administrations have said so, just as he believes so, and therefore, he said so. And so he looks at it and describes as revisionist history those who now seem to cast doubt on the accuracy of the intelligence information that stated that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction prior to the war."

There's more, but I don't know how to link it.

[big brother]

In the wood panelled libraries of justice officials and judges throughout America, how does misuse of the law, major treason violations of the law play. Those of you who spent careers interpreting and enforcing the law must be shaking their heads in disbelief.
My hope is that you all keep turning over the buried evidence that will bring these alleged criminals before the scales of justice. I hope your trip to Washington is to deliver enough evidence to get a special prosecutor on the job. Best Wishes and Good Hunting...the hunter becomes the hunted.

[prostratedragon]

Oh, this is great, just great, congratulations!! I must take a closer look later tonight.

My two cents. Cheney feared he was getting caught in a gambit he hadn't fully informed Shrub about, and he had to make sure Shrub followed his lead.

Something like that has long been my guess as to why OVP got so bent out of shape in July, because it was the first public confirmation of his long reach—and even the Shrub might not have realized to that point how long and independent it was. But be all that as it may,

Wow. Wow.

[Swopa]

I'm more inclined to agree with your statement at the end that the activity was related to Walter Pincus asking questions for his WaPo story, but it's very important to keep reminding people of Bush's proximity to the whole matter. Thanks for the post.

[Mimikatz]

I'm with 'dragon and the Earl. Bush gave a general sign-off on the war, but the selling of it was masterminded by Cheney and Rove. Cheney and Rumsfeld agreed on the basics (oil, bases) and the Wolfowitzes and Feiths provided the idealism for those who needed that.

Cheney was in danger of being exposed as having known before the war, and while there was time to stop it, that the WMD evidence was bogus. Or else he was in danger of being exposed as someone who believes in what conforms to his policy in the face of expert opinion and evidence that it is not so. And, in either case, of selling Bush on disasterous policies with no grounding in reality.

Gods, how I wish this Admin was over.

[kim]

FWIW, I think Rice actually said that "someone down in the bowels of the Agency might have known [about the Niger forgery]." (I haven't found a video clip though I have seen it) I suppose it's possible that she learned of Plame before this interview.

Did the trial provide any information on how often Libby met with Bush (could it be daily?) and what his responsibilities were?

[Sojourner]

I think we have reached the next level... The same one that Woodward and Bernstein faced when Deep Throat said something to the effect that the stakes always went up when the P was mentioned. Regardless of whether Bush went into it all with both eyes wide open, or he was misled by certain parties who had their own agendas, he is the "P" (although he refers to himself as the "decider").

I sincerely hope that I am around to read the definitive history of the Bush/Cheney regime to fully understand how these two worked (or didn't, as the case may be).

Thanks for a great writeup!

[oldtree]

thanks again for all of the work EW, you are one of the very best reporters we have.

[emptywheel]

kim

Yes, that is what it is--but the transcript introduced into trial evidence doesn't include that bit

[croatoan]

June 17, 2003, Press Briefing with Ari Fleischer where he mentions "revisionist historians."

May 2, 2004, Condoleeza Rice on Meet the Press, "Maybe someone knew down in the bowels of the agency, but no one in our circles knew that there were doubts and suspicions that this might be a forgery."

[Tom in AZ]

Marcy

I had the opportunity to give your book away yesterday. While flying home and puddle jumping through El Paso I sat next to a lawyer. He asked me me what I thought of it and off we went for the next 90 minutes. I was thrilled to pass it along to someone, and ordered another copy today.

[emptywheel]

Tom

Very cool--glad to hear it. And thanks for passing it on.

[John Forde]

EW

What in this post is new? It has now touched Bushie. But weren't Libby's notes released a while ago?

Great post, as always. Just wondering if I missed something.

[emptywheel]

John

The notes were released in the trial--and I have pointed to the June 9 date before, though I don't know anyone else who has.

So you're right, mostly all that's new is putting it together, and showing that the document dump that Fitz mentioned prominently in his suggestive indictment came after Libby got an earful abotu Bush's involvement (which presumably came after Condi's statement).

I'm doing it today for two reasons. 1, because while I expect Dick to get mentioned tomorrow, I don't want Bush to feel lonely. And 2, because I'm going to do some followup on some new materials that relies on a better understanding of the dynamics of that week.

[emptywheel]

Which is another way of saying this is a post I meant to write on April 19, but got distracted.

[bmaz]

Pay attention young lady. Don't be distracted by shiny objects. Or them fancy shoes you and Jane sport on the DC Circuit. Else things meant for April 19 arrive on June 4!

[emptywheel]

Fancy shoes? I didn't even know what Jane had on her feet last time we were down here. I can assure, you anything that doesn't come from a walking shoe store (you know--that sell nothing but Keens and birks and those kind of shoes--yes, I do live in a college town where that is considered appropriate dress).

But it was also sparked by where I'm going later this week or next.

[bmaz]

I know, and I know you know I was joking. But really, wasn't there some rumors of you two and some expensive high falluting designer shoes?

[emptywheel]

No no, you've confused "you two," and "Jane." Jane does have high falluting shoes. Which I didn't know until egregious clued me in. I thought Jane was talking about some expensive ethnic dish, but she was apparently talking about her famous shoes.

[bmaz]

Eh, I repent and apologize. Heh.

[eyesonthestreet]

I really feel stupid asking this, but Underscore "P" with a line above means "the President" in Libby's shorthand? And if it is the SOTU being discussed, could he have been talking to the person writing the SOTU, Micheal Gerson, I assume, not Bush himself? Because deep down I really don't believe Bush is more than a puppet, choking on crackers while he watches baseball games. Lets see, what game was on June 9th, 2003.....