Reid to Bush: Level With the American People
by georgia10
Wed Apr 12, 2006 at 01:51:41 PM PDT
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid calls on the President (and Vice-President) to release transcripts of their interviews with Patrick Fitzgerald:
As long as the defense of "ongoing legal proceedings" is used by the White House to deny critical facts to public, the American people will not "see the truth" you pledged to provide. In fact, the White House strategy only raises further questions. For example, in addition to Mr. Libby, have you directed anyone else in your Administration to disclose classified information to reporters? Was any other highly classified data, beyond that contained in the National Intelligence Estimate, selectively leaked to reporters or other persons outside of your Administration, and if so, why? And, why did you tell the American people on October 13, 2003, that you "don't know of anybody in (your) administration who leaked classified information"?
These and other questions are best addressed by following the advice of the Republican Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said that "there has to be a detailed explanation precisely as to what Vice President Cheney did, what the President said to him, and an explanation from the President as to what he said so that it can be evaluated." A good interim step, if you are unwilling to come forward now, would be for you and the Vice President to immediately release the transcripts of your interviews with investigators. Perhaps this would give the American people some insight into your motivations until you and the Vice President are prepared to speak openly to the American people.
Immediate and full disclosure of your involvement in the manipulation and leaking of sensitive intelligence is the best way to address growing questions about your Administration's decision to go to war in Iraq as well as other critical national security decisions. For the sake of our troops and our security, I urge you to heed the bipartisan call to level with the American people.
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