Busted: From the transcript of Mr. Bush's press conference, June 10, 2004

[Jack Rabbit]

From the website of the White House
Dated June 10, 2004

President Bush Holds Press Conference Following the G8 Summit

Q Given -- given recent developments in the CIA leak case, particularly Vice President Cheney's discussions with the investigators, do you still stand by what you said several months ago, a suggestion that it might be difficult to identify anybody who leaked the agent's name?

THE PRESIDENT: That's up to --

Q And, and, do you stand by your pledge to fire anyone found to have done so?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And that's up to the U.S. Attorney to find the facts.

Q My final point would be -- or question would be, has Vice President Cheney assured you --

THE PRESIDENT: It's up to the --

Q -- subsequent to his conversations with them, that nobody --

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't talked to the Vice President about this matter, and I suggest -- recently -- and I suggest you talk to the U.S. Attorney about that.

Read more.

[goclark]

1. He knew then ---give us back a blue dress

They should all be thrown in jail.

[henslee]

2. This is quite diff. than his wording used today, though sadly I expect

little to become of it beyond a lame duck prsidency on the rope... which is good enough for me. I think they will run out the clock. Rove will move on. The fact Merikuns are scared crapless of terror right now will give our Prez. one more perfectly timed free pass. He is the teflon prez.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Bush's vocal stumble is revealing

The President: "I haven't talked to the Vice President about this matter, and I suggest -- recently -- and I suggest you talk to the U.S. Attorney about that."

His coaches told him to say "I haven't talked recently to the VP", but he only remembered the "recently" bit later in the sentence, where it is glaringly obvious. In other words, the VP called Bush into his office or on the phone early on and explained the situation to him and told him that he wouldn't be able to talk about it with him again so that Bush would have plausible deniability because he would be able to say "recently", if he remembered.

"What did the President know and when did he know it?" echoes down the corridors of history.

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Plausible deniability?

I don't know what Bush meant by that. Take out the stumble and he could simply by lying; even if he has never asked Cheney about it, that could be because he's afraid of knowing the answer.