Progressive Talking Points 10/7/05

* Karl Rove, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff is making his 4th appearance before a grand jury, to answer the questions about his role in leaking the agent’s name as part of a tried and true Bush-method of attacking those who you don’t agree with. Rove’s attorney had previously claimed Rove didn’t have anything left to say to the grand jury. That statement doesn’t appear to be operative any longer.

* At issue here is a White House conspiracy to cover-up their lie about the intelligence in making their case for going to the war in Iraq. T here is a lot of Washington intrigue focused on who said what to whom and when they said it. Ultimately, the question that matters is why did the White House lead such an aggressive effort to discredit Wilson’s report? Answer: They did it because Wilson revealed the truth: the administration deliberately manipulated intelligence to make the case for a war that has made our country less safe and cost nearly 2,000 American lives.

* As White House counsel during the course of this investigation, it seems fair to ask: What was Harriet Miers’ role? Harriet Miers was a White House official at the time of the White House’s smear campaign against Wilson and has been the White House counsel during much of Fitzgerald’s investigation. She owes Congress a complete explanation of what knowledge she had of – and any role she may have played in – the White House’s effort to cover up its manipulation of intelligence. And she would be well advised to do so sooner rather than later.