Thursday, April 06, 2006

More on the Bush Leak



Sometimes it's worth digging far down the Memory Hole, and this is one of those times. See what George Bush said a few years ago:

"If there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is," Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of.

"I welcome the investigation. I am absolutely confident the Justice Department will do a good job.

"I want to know the truth," the president continued. "Leaks of classified information are bad things."

He added that he did not know of "anybody in my administration who leaked classified information."

Bush said he has told his administration to cooperate fully with the investigation and asked anyone with knowledge of the case to come forward.

Now it seems that he might have been the Grand Leaker. Or is it possible for a president to leak information? Can't he just declassify whatever he wants? But is this the way to declassify stuff, by slipping it to some journalists and not making a note on the files that they are now declassified? And is it ok for the president to leak information for purely party-political reasons?

Questions, questions.