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American Morning
CIA Leak Investigation
Aired October 02, 2003 - 07:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the White House and the latest on that CIA leak investigation. Democrats continue their calls for an independent prosecutor on that matter.
Dana Bash, live from the Front Lawn, with more on this, this morning.
Dana -- good morning there.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
The Justice Department is still devising its strategy for what kind of investigation this will be, who they need to talk to. But here at the White House, the strategy is clear. It has promised full cooperation and let Republicans outside the administration question the motives of Democrats and a former ambassador, Joe Wilson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): President Bush did not respond to reporters' questions about the issue of the day. His spokesman did, lots of them, and stuck to script.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has directed the White House to cooperate fully. That message was sent as soon as he learned of the investigation.
BASH: Early in the day, McClellan suggested full cooperation could mean taking a polygraph test, and later called that question and many others about the investigation hypothetical.
MCCLELLAN: The issue here is whether or not someone leaked classified information.
BASH: Deflecting questions like: If the president is outraged about the leak, why didn't he raise the issue when Robert Novak's column came out in July?
So far, officials say no one has come forward with any documents relating to former Ambassador Wilson or his wife, and no White House aide is believed to have contacted or have been contacted by FBI investigators yet.
Democrats, citing conflict of interest, continue to call for a special counsel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attorney General John Ashcroft, appointed by this president, investigating the president.
BASH: Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle wrote the president, calling for an internal investigation, demanding, among other things, they compile a "List of senior officials with access to classified information," and "Insist senior aides sign a statement denying responsibility for the leak."
The White House spokesman tells CNN they intend to forward Daschle's letter to the Justice Department for consideration, and he accused Democrats of being more interested in politics than facts -- something friends of the White House are saying of Democrats and Ambassador Wilson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was told that, you know, he's a contributor to Senator Kerry's campaign. It seems to me that that is evidence that there may be some motives on their side that are not, again, entirely pure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: And here at the White House despite ominous instructions to save e-mails and phone logs, officials insist behind the scenes they're going about their work. One senior aide told me that the Bush White House is run like a business, and the atmosphere is still very much business-like -- Bill.
HEMMER: Dana, thanks. Dana Bash from the White House this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 2, 2003 - 07:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the White House and the latest on that CIA leak investigation. Democrats continue their calls for an independent prosecutor on that matter.
Dana Bash, live from the Front Lawn, with more on this, this morning.
Dana -- good morning there.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
The Justice Department is still devising its strategy for what kind of investigation this will be, who they need to talk to. But here at the White House, the strategy is clear. It has promised full cooperation and let Republicans outside the administration question the motives of Democrats and a former ambassador, Joe Wilson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): President Bush did not respond to reporters' questions about the issue of the day. His spokesman did, lots of them, and stuck to script.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president has directed the White House to cooperate fully. That message was sent as soon as he learned of the investigation.
BASH: Early in the day, McClellan suggested full cooperation could mean taking a polygraph test, and later called that question and many others about the investigation hypothetical.
MCCLELLAN: The issue here is whether or not someone leaked classified information.
BASH: Deflecting questions like: If the president is outraged about the leak, why didn't he raise the issue when Robert Novak's column came out in July?
So far, officials say no one has come forward with any documents relating to former Ambassador Wilson or his wife, and no White House aide is believed to have contacted or have been contacted by FBI investigators yet.
Democrats, citing conflict of interest, continue to call for a special counsel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Attorney General John Ashcroft, appointed by this president, investigating the president.
BASH: Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle wrote the president, calling for an internal investigation, demanding, among other things, they compile a "List of senior officials with access to classified information," and "Insist senior aides sign a statement denying responsibility for the leak."
The White House spokesman tells CNN they intend to forward Daschle's letter to the Justice Department for consideration, and he accused Democrats of being more interested in politics than facts -- something friends of the White House are saying of Democrats and Ambassador Wilson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was told that, you know, he's a contributor to Senator Kerry's campaign. It seems to me that that is evidence that there may be some motives on their side that are not, again, entirely pure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: And here at the White House despite ominous instructions to save e-mails and phone logs, officials insist behind the scenes they're going about their work. One senior aide told me that the Bush White House is run like a business, and the atmosphere is still very much business-like -- Bill.
HEMMER: Dana, thanks. Dana Bash from the White House this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
