Leak probe likely to expand beyond White House, CIA, officials say

. . . In Congress, Democrats and Republicans sparred over whether a special counsel should be appointed to investigate. Democrats contend an agency headed by Bush appointees cannot adequately investigate the administration. Republicans have labeled that claim politically motivated. . .

- CURT ANDERSON, Associated Press Writer via SF Gate -

Certainly there can be little or no doubt that the Democratic call for a special investigatory counsel is largely politically motivated. This is a rich accusation, however, coming from The GOP. Are we to believe, for instance, that if the parties were reversed in this situation, The Republicans would not be clamoring for a special counsel? Clearly this is a spurious argument. Anybody with two working brain cells can see that there is a conflict of interest in having Bush appointed officials investigate the Bush Administration. According to an An ABC-Washington Post poll referenced in the article linked above I am not alone in this opinion.

An ABC-Washington Post poll found 69 percent of Americans, including 52 percent of Republicans, believe a special counsel should be appointed. A substantial majority, 72 percent, said it's likely that someone in the White House leaked the classified information. . .

Not that I'm given to quoting polls, typically taking all such numbers with a grain or two of salt and keeping in mind the famous quote attributed by Mark Twain to Benjamin Disraeli:

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

But this is a digression. I'll let the folks at MoveOn.org pull me back to the cenral fact at issue in this post - and I will urge you, dear reader (if you are a U.S. citizen and, like me, you are ashamed to admit that for fear of being associated with the liars, war mongers and greedy opportunists currently sitting in The White House) to add your name to their call for a special prosecutor at the link below:

Investigate the White House

According to the Washington Post, "two top White House officials" committed a high crime in the first weeks of July. They handed over the identity of an American secret agent to journalists. Republicans contend that an investigation by the Justice Department will reveal any wrongdoing. But Justice Department chief John Ashcroft -- who was appointed by President Bush and who employed key Bush advisor Karl Rove -- is hardly neutral. If we don't speak up now, the investigation could be left in John Ashcroft's hands, and the perpetrators and the crime could be swept under the rug. That's why we believe:

"Attorney General Ashcroft must appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the White House's role in revealing an undercover CIA agent's identity. This act was a breach of national security and a felony and should be investigated by an independent party."

Please join us. . . We'll send your comments to John Ashcroft and your representatives in Congress at important times during our campaign.

- MoveOn.org -