By David Sirota
With Republicans and the White House now refusing to answer questions about what should be done now that we know Karl Rove was involved in leaking classified information, it is instructive to go back and look at their previous ideas about how they claimed to despise national security leaks.
WHITE HOUSE SAID THERE WILL BE NO TOLERANCE FOR ANY LEAKS: "The president does have very deep concerns about anything that would be inappropriately leaked that could in any way endanger America's ability to gather intelligence information, and even that could harm our ability to maintain sources and methods and anything that could interfere with America's ability to fight the war on terrorism." - White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 6/21/02
Source link: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/06/20/911.warning/ [1]
GEORGE H.W. BUSH CALLED LEAKERS 'TRAITORS': "I have nothing but contempt and anger for those who betray the trust by exposing the names of our sources. They are, in my view, the most insidious of traitors." - President George H.W. Bush, 4/26/99
Source link: http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/1999/bush_speech_042699.html [2]
RUMSFELD SAID LEAKERS SHOULD BE JAILED: "[Leakers] are disgraceful. They're unprofessional. They're dangerous. They put people's lives at risk. I would also add that I think it's the obligation of people who find people leaking to tell responsible authorities because folks that do it and put people's lives at risk ought to be in jail." - Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, 2/13/03
Source link: http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/transcripts/2003/feb/030213.gjelten.html [3]
ASHCROFT SAID LEAKS DAMAGE NATIONAL SECURITY: "Leaks of classified information do substantial damage to the security interests of the nation.