Life in OUR America, Volume 2, The Livyjr Files Options

[Livyjr]

"Source: Rove says reporters told him of Plame - Bush aide reportedly testifies that he learned agent’s name from press"

July 14: As a show of support, President Bush made a public appearance with embattled top aide Karl Rove.

MSNBC News Services

Updated: 1:33 a.m. ET July 15, 2005

WASHINGTON - Presidential confidant Karl Rove testified to a grand jury that he learned the identity of a CIA operative originally from journalists, then informally discussed the information with a Time magazine reporter days before the story broke, according to a person briefed on the testimony.

Pressed to explain its statements of two years ago that Rove wasn’t involved in the leak, the White House refused to do so this week.

“If I were to get into discussing this, I would be getting into discussing an investigation that continues and could be prejudging the outcome of the investigation,” McClellan said.

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving."

"I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves."

- George W. Bush being entirely candid with the American people about how it really was that he found out that Joseph Wilson was an American diplomat, and his wife was a CIA agent, which information came to him via Karl Rove, who himself read about it in a newspaper article, so that he could then brief George W. Bush on how to run the government, here in OUR America, Washington, D.C.; September 21, 2003

And there we have it, I think, anyway!

The truth is finally out!

All along, of course, we have known, here in OUR America, that despite having been to Harvard and Yale, George W. Bush either never had to learn to read, having servants to do that kind of menial stuff, of course, or he just never really wanted to read, being fundamentally lazy, and so, Harvard and Yale simply "passed" him along, likely as a favor to the Bush family, who wanted it to look like young George had some "Callich dergrees", and so, got him some of them from Harvard and Yale, who had some extras that they didn't need, and so, were happy to provide to the Bush family, for the good of young George, and America, as well, since he is, after all, not only OUR MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, but the Commander-in-Chief of OUR military forces, as well, and God help them for that, but I digress .......

The real question, here in OUR America, all along, has been one of how George W. Bush comes to any kind of a decision about anything, if he can't read, and that question has finally been answered above here, by Karl Rove, and of course, Scottie "BOY" McClellan!

Karl Rove reads stuff in the newspapers, and then he tells George W. Bush about it, and then George W. Bush does something or other with what Karl Rove has told him is in the newspapers, and out of that, well, we have the official governmental policy which is fast turning OUR America into the laughing stock of the world, and a target for every two-bit TAY-RIST who thinks we all are as stupid as those down there in the White House that these two-bit TAY-RISTS think are representative of more than just that handful of the thumb-sucking, scared-out-of-their-wits-by-shadows-on-the-wall Americans who voted to put Karl Rove and George W. Bush back into the White House, because four years of ineptness and incompetence just were not enough for them and theirs!

God bless America?

God better help it, instead, because with this clown show down there in charge, we need all of that, that we can get!

[Livyjr]

"It's very important for folks to understand that when there's more trade, there's more commerce!"

- George W. Bush in the highly acclaimed, positively brilliant speech that knocked Adam Smith right clean out of the economics box and firmly established George W. Bush into the Pantheon of the world's greatest economic minds of any time, even if the speech is a little dense and hard to understand by the common person or layman without a Harvard BID-NESS education, Quebec City, Canada; April 21, 2001

And as the American economy bounds forwards, full speed ahead, thanks to the keen economic wisdom and insight of President George W. Bush, gained at HAH-VAD, of course, in the BID-NESS school ....

"HP Expected to Announce Massive Layoffs"

By MATTHEW FORDAHL, AP Technology Writer

45 minutes ago

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Hewlett-Packard Co. is widely expected to cut thousands of jobs next week as part of a long-expected restructuring that will attempt to bring the computer maker's costs in line with business and its rivals' numbers, according to industry analysts.

The exact timing and number of layoffs isn't known, though observers speculate layoffs could range between 5,000 and 25,000 positions.

The huge company, whose offerings range from digital cameras and printers to computers and corporate consulting, has 150,000 workers worldwide.

Shares of HP gained 32 cents, or 1.3 percent, to close at a 52-week high of $24.94, in Friday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The stock has gained about 15 percent since HP named NCR Corp. executive Mark Hurd as its new chief executive in late March, replacing the ousted Carly Fiorina.

Hurd has made no secret of his intent to reduce expenses at the Palo Alto-based company.

In May, he told financial analysts that HP's cost structure is "off benchmark in many areas."

Alexa Hanes, an HP spokeswoman, declined to comment Friday on "rumors and speculation."

Some HP workers have taken to calling the upcoming news "the Big One," according to the San Jose Mercury News.

In a research report Thursday, Moors & Cabot analyst Cindy Shaw said a management reorganization could be announced as early as Monday — and could include as many as 25,000 job cuts.

She also said the company might announce the expected retirement of Chief Financial Officer Bob Wayman.

Shaw did not provide details of how she obtained that information.

In June, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated the job cuts would range between 7,500 and 15,000 with HP enterprise and services division "likely to present the biggest opportunities."

He also said HP's research and development spending is nearly $1 billion higher than the sum of its relevant competitors.

"We think HP is rife with cost improvement opportunities," Sacconaghi wrote in the research report, adding the company could realize annual savings of between $750 million to $1.5 billion.

Richard Chu of SG Cowen & Co. said it's likely between 10,000 and 15,000 jobs will be cut in the upcoming announcement.

Chu expects cost reductions of $1 billion for fiscal 2006 and about $1.4 billion the following year.

HP's core strength is in printers and imaging, but it wants to diversify.

The problem is that it faces competition from super-efficient Dell Inc. in low-end offerings such as personal computers.

At the same time, it competes against well-established International Business Machines Corp. in the more profitable area of enterprise hardware and services.

Since joining HP, Hurd has made several changes, though none is expected to have the impact of the expected major cost cutting.

Earlier this week, Dell Inc.'s chief information officer was hired to fill the same position at HP.

Last month, Hurd split HP's personal computer and printer divisions — a marriage that was one of Fiorina's last moves before her Feb. 9 ouster.

HP, which reported annual sales of $79.9 billion for the year ending Oct. 31, is expected to announce its fiscal third-quarter results on Aug. 16.
___

On the Net:

HP: http://www.hp.com

[Livyjr]

U.S. National - AP

"Probes Taint L.A. Mayor's Re-Election Bid"

Sun Feb 27, 2:14 PM ET   

By JEREMIAH MARQUEZ, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Mayor James Hahn's re-election bid has suffered — along with the image of honesty he worked hard to cultivate — amid accusations he let corruption and fraud flourish at City Hall.

County prosecutors have been investigating allegations that Hahn supporters shook down companies that wanted to do business with the city by tying public contracts to political contributions.

_In cases not connected to the contract probes, a prominent lawyer was charged last May with reimbursing contributors to Hahn's 2001 campaign, and a real estate developer was fined $270,000 by a city ethics panel that found he laundered campaign donations to Hahn and others.

"It does damage the city's reputation," Xandra Kayden, senior fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Affairs, said of the charges of corruption.

"This isn't Tammany Hall corruption, but it's a major loss of credibility."

Boy, jeffmoskin, it's starting to sound an awful lot like Rensselaer County in the corrupt state of New York out there in AH-NOLD's Kah-lee-FAWN-yuh!

Is it cloning, or what?

Can you edify us, please?

Was this San Diego mayor not sinning enough, by Texas standards, or was he sinning too much, by California standards, or is he really looking to come to New York, and so, was just getting into practice for the big leagues of corruption back here in the home of Tammany Hall, and George Pataki, of course, and his Department of Environmental Conservation?

"San Diego Mayor Quits in Midst of Scandal"

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer

2 hours, 10 minutes ago

SAN DIEGO - Mayor Dick Murphy packed his belongings and bid farewell to his staff Friday, ending a rocky 4 1/2-year tenure that was cut short when he resigned amid a wave of scandal.

"This is a day of sadness, but you know, this really ought to be a day of pride," he told about two dozen employees at his last staff meeting.

A few employees wiped away tears but the mild-mannered Republican mayor appeared relaxed on what he called a bittersweet day.

Murphy concluded his remarks by saying, "Thank you, God bless you and goodbye."

Eight months after being re-elected, Murphy is resigning in the midst of a federal probe of San Diego's deficit-ridden pension fund and with a federal jury deciding the fate of two councilmen accused of corruption.

In a blistering editorial Friday, The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that the city is "far worse off" than when Murphy took office and the mayor deserves much of the blame.

"Dick Murphy leaves office today having acknowledged he is not the man to extinguish the conflagration that his actions and inactions helped to fan," the newspaper concluded.

"For that, he deserves San Diegans' respect."

The 62-year-old former judge has said little about his decision to step down, but in an interview with The Associated Press, he said a post-election court battle over the vote count and an increasingly bitter tone at City Hall played roles.

Murphy was named the winner of November's election after a state judge tossed out thousands of ballots for Councilwoman Donna Frye, a write-in candidate who owns a surf shop.

Ballots on which voters wrote Frye's name but failed to darken an adjoining oval were discounted.

A July 26 election is expected to produce a November runoff between the top two finishers.

Among the 11 contenders are Frye, a Democrat, and Republicans Jerry Sanders, a former police chief, and Steve Francis, a wealthy businessman.

Councilman Michael Zucchet is set to take over as interim mayor and serve until voters choose a successor.

But Zucchet would be forced to relinquish public office if a jury convicts him of taking illegal campaign contributions from a strip-club owner.

A federal jury began deliberating the case Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors also are investigating San Diego's pension deficit of at least $1.37 billion, largely the result of decisions in 1996 and 2002 to avoid payments to the retirement fund and, at the same time, enhance benefits.

Murphy refused to discuss ongoing federal investigations of city finances.

He said a Time magazine story that named him one of the nation's worst big-city mayors also weighed on his decision.

He announced his resignation a week after the article appeared.

Murphy said he planned to take a six-month break before deciding his next move.

"I could teach."

"I could write."

"I could go back and, I suppose, seek my assignment on the bench," he said.

"I just haven't decided."
___

On the Net:

City of San Diego: http://www.sandiego.gov

end quotes

"I could go back and, I suppose, seek my assignment on the bench," he said.

Yeah, that's right, make the guy a judge again!

Maybe George W. Bush will put him on the Supreme Court to replace Rehnquist!

Sounds like Karl Rove would like him, anyway.

And this Zucchet?

Is this the same strip club operator that New York State Congressman John Sweeney had as his chief-of-staff, down there in the "ten mile square" of Washington, D.C., do you know?

[Livyjr]

And while we are on the subject of which way the wind is blowing .....

"Grenada Braces for Tropical Storm Emily"

By MICHAEL BASCOMBE, Associated Press Writer

St. GEORGE'S, Grenada - Grenadian police ordered people off the streets and businesses closed Wednesday as Tropical Storm Emily threatened an island still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Ivan last year.

"Jamaicans Brace for Hurricane Emily"

By MICHAEL BASCOMBE, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 17 minutes ago

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaicans rushed to stock up on emergency supplies and officials urged coastal areas evacuated Friday as a slightly weakened Hurricane Emily churned toward the Caribbean island after ravaging Grenada.

Packing winds of 115 mph, the second major hurricane of the Atlantic season came unusually early and made its presence felt hundreds of miles away, unleashing heavy surf, gusty winds and torrential rains on islands both sides of the Caribbean sea.

The category 3 storm was nearly 400 miles southeast of Jamaica's capital and was moving westward at nearly 20 mph, with a turn toward the northwest expected to take it very close to Jamaica on Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

If Emily continues on the same path, the storm will make landfall sometime Wednesday between Tuxpan, Mexico, and Galveston, Texas, about a 600-mile span, hurricane center spokesman Frank Lepore said, cautioning that "a lot could change between now and then."

Jamaica posted a hurricane warning.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson ordered government offices to close early Friday and instructed disaster authorities to draw up plans to evacuate thousands of residents in flood-prone coastal areas.

Jamaicans formed long lines at grocery stores to stock up on water, canned food and batteries, only a week after doing the same for Hurricane Dennis, which washed away several homes, damaged crops and flooded roads.

Many islanders refused to seek shelter during Dennis, fearful of leaving their belongings unguarded.

"I'm hoping that those who are in these areas will heed the call to evacuate before it's too late," Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill said on RJR radio.

Grenada — still recovering from the devastation of last year's Hurricane Ivan — declared a national disaster Friday, a day after Emily destroyed at least 16 homes, blasted out windows, sheared off roofs and flooded two hospitals and scores of other buildings.

Landslides and fallen trees blocked roads, streets were flooded and crops were destroyed.

At least one person was killed in Grenada, a man whose home was buried under a landslide.

Emily's winds decreased to near 115 mph Friday afternoon after reaching a high of 135 mph earlier in the day, making it briefly what meteorologist Stacy Stewart called a "very rare Category 4 hurricane in the Caribbean Sea in the month of July."

The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, which were expected to get hit hard on Sunday, and authorized the departure of non-emergency staff at the U.S. Embassy.

Heavy rains drenched the southeast Dominican Republic and officials warned boatmen there to stay in port, saying that coastline could expect strong electrical storms, whipping winds and waves higher than 10 feet.

The eye of the storm was projected to come within 40 miles of Grand Cayman Island on Sunday, the Cayman Islands government warned residents.

Emily's next direct hit, according to the hurricane center's projections, was expected to be Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula late Sunday or early Monday.

In Grand Cayman, Texan Carolyn Parker, said she was more apprehensive than she's ever been in 20 years as a resident of the Cayman Islands.

"Ivan was pretty nasty, and I'm scared to go through that again." said the retired police officer.

Emily trails Hurricane Dennis, which destroyed crops, killed at least 25 people in Haiti and 16 in Cuba and stranded thousands of Jamaicans when it collapsed a bridge last week.

Last year, three catastrophic hurricanes — Frances, Ivan and Jeanne — tore through the Caribbean with a collective ferocity not seen in years, causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

Emily struck hard in Grenada, especially in the north and in the outlying islands of Carriacou and Petit Martinique, where residents were without electricity and water, authorities said.

The damage came as the island nation still was recovering from Ivan, which last year killed 39 people, left a wasteland of ruined buildings and damaged 90 percent of the historic Georgian buildings in the capital, St. George's.

In Trinidad, widespread flooding triggered landslides that cut off the only access road to two east coast communities, marooning hundreds of residents, Mayor Eustace Nancis said.

The Organization of American States called an emergency meeting of its disaster committee Friday, expressing concern at the prospect of a "severe economic setback" to countries hit by hurricanes, especially Grenada.

Forecasters have predicted up to 15 Atlantic tropical storms this year, including three to five major hurricanes.

The hurricane season began June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
___

Associated Press Writers Jorge Rueda in Cumana, Venezuela, and Loren Brown in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, contributed to this report.
___

On the Net:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

end quotes

Where, oh where is Dick Cheney's mouth when we really need it?

A good dose of hot air out of him would send this hurricane packing, I bet!

[Livyjr]

SUSETTE KELO, et al., PETITIONERS v. CITY OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT, et al.

on writ of certiorari to the supreme court of connecticut

[June 23, 2005]

Justice Thomas, dissenting.

The deferential standard this Court has adopted for the Public Use Clause IS THEREFORE DEEPLY PERVERSE.

It encourages "those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms" to victimize the weak.

Those incentives have made the legacy of this Court's "public purpose" test an unhappy one.

"House not home: Foreigners buy up American real estate"

By Ron Scherer, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Fri Jul 15, 4:00 AM ET

MIAMI - Earlier this year, real estate marketer Melissa Rubin took some South American clients to a party to promote a new condo that developers hoped to sell before a shovel hit the ground.

Even by Miami standards, the party was exotic.

There were tigers, chimps, human flamethrowers, jumbo TVs, and the usual red-carpet food and drink.

There was also a bikini-clad woman covered in chocolate.

"If we take them to a party, it helps them get excited about the project," says Ms. Rubin of Platinum Properties International.

Indeed, developers are going all-out to charm their clients, and more and more those clients include the world's wealthy elite from such countries as Argentina, Mexico, Australia, and Germany.

These foreign buyers, in fact, are one of the important reasons the housing bubble continues to grow in hot markets like Miami, New York, and Las Vegas.

In many cases, they're taking advantage of the strong euro or trying to get their money into a dollar-denominated hiding place.

The result: In Miami, for one, some condo buildings have as much as two-thirds of their units owned by foreigners.

Call it America for Sale.

"No question, foreigners are part of the bubble," says Stephen Wayner, first vice president at Bayview Financial Exchange Services LLC in Miami.

Although there are no numbers indicating how much foreigners are pouring into the United States to buy condos, there are some eye-opening anecdotal signs:

• In Las Vegas, wealthy foreign buyers - mostly from Mexico - have snapped up 12 percent of the condos at Icon, twin 48-story towers that are now almost sold out even though they won't start construction until next month.

• New York City real estate brokers estimate that up to 33 percent of new condos sold in the city are going to non-Americans, especially Europeans, who one broker describes as "very aggressive."

• Asian buyers are jumping in, too.

Real estate agents are flying to Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur to talk up the property market.

Recently, a large group of Korean finance, construction, insurance, and engineering executives conducted a "study tour" of southeast Florida real estate.

They plan to return next April.

A bargain purchase

Part of the allure of American real estate is the cost.

While some of the prices may seem high to Americans, to Europeans and others the real estate feels like a bargain, particularly when figured in euros or pounds sterling.

Miami has long had a history of attracting Latin American investment.

The weather reminds Central and South Americans of home, and they've visited Miami's shops for years, lugging home everything from appliances to designer sneakers.

In addition, Spanish may be the first language of south Florida instead of English.

And the South American elite have long viewed the city as a safe place to stockpile dollar-denominated assets, whether it be in cash or real estate.

"Every planeload comes in with potential buyers," says Ronald Shuffield, president of Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors in Coral Gables, which is also representing Met 3, a 74-story condo tower.

"Almost every Latin American who buys a condominium here has in the back of their mind, 'That's my safe refuge."

"If I have to leave, that's where I can go.' "

What's also changed is the active selling of US real estate on foreign shores.

Within the past month, Mr. Shuffield has sent brokers to Argentina and Spain for real estate trade shows.

("They are just like yacht trade shows," he says.)

Recently, he had a broker in Mexico City meeting with people who might want to plunk down up to $2 million for a condo.

Recently, Rubin's partner rented a hotel suite in Caracas, Venezuela, to show floor plans to brokers and their clients.

"He came back with lots of leads and sold a few," says Rubin, who tries to maintain a relationship with her foreign clients by sending birthday cards and calling them every six weeks to update them on the market.

The next wave of buyers might well be from Asia.

Several new Miami condos have Asian names such as Mei, the mythical Chinese symbol for beauty.

This week, John Pinson, a real estate agent in Palm Beach and president of the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI-USA), is traveling to China and Malaysia.

He has also scheduled future trips to Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and India.

"Some of the newest buyers are Vietnamese and Thais," he adds.

Marketing a 'buzz'

Whoever the prospective foreign buyers, marketers say it is important to create a "buzz."

One way to do this is a launch party where no money exchanges hands.

In Las Vegas, the Icon tower party featured a chocolate fountain and South American, Asian, and Californian cuisine.

And, says Sarah Prinsloo, president of Related Prinsloo Realty Services in Las Vegas, there were foreign real estate brokers who speak English.

So far, 12 percent of the units have been sold to Mexicans.

"They are coming for second homes and an investment," says Ms. Prinsloo.

Fortune International, exclusive brokers for Avenue, two new towers in Miami, are even more successful at attracting foreign buyers.

In four months, Fortune has sold almost one-third of the units to South Americans and another third to Europeans.

The company has a large network of foreign brokers who help to line up potential customers.

They also do major events, says Lucrecia Lindemann, the sales director, such as hot-air balloon rides and special lunches.

"I'm just back from Paris, and sales to the Jewish community there are good," says Ms. Lindemann.

"And the Italians are coming here for security and personal reasons."

For many of the foreigners, it's been a beneficial purchase.

Lindemann says in less than a year, prices on condos along Brickell Avenue, where her buildings are rising, have soared almost 75 percent.

"Everything here has been a good investment for them," she says.

end quotes

SO!

A pretty good deal!

Thanks to the Supreme Court, they get to steal OUR land from us, for nothing, and then turn around and sell it for a profit!

Not a bad deal at all, for the foreigners, anyway!

[Livyjr]

"Adelphia Founder Sentenced to 15 Years"

By ERIN McCLAM, Associated Press Writer

"Long ago, he set Adelphia on a track of lying, of cheating, of defrauding," Sand said of the elder Rigas.

"Regrettably for everyone, this was not stopped over 10 years ago."

"It got more urgent and culminated in one of the largest frauds in corporate history."

The Rigases are among a slew of former corporate executives who have faced charges since the fall of Enron in 2001 touched off a parade of white-collar scandals.

Ah, yes, Enron!

George W. Bush's best buddy, Kenny "BOY" Lay!

"Enron to Pay $1.5B Settlement to 3 States"

By JENNIFER COLEMAN, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 2 minutes ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Bankrupt energy company Enron Corp. has agreed to pay more than $1.5 billion to resolve claims that it gouged California and other western states during the 2000-2001 energy crisis, state officials said.

The settlement will end market manipulation and price gouging claims against the once high-flying Houston-based company, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.

The agreement requires approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Enron will pay $47.5 million in cash and provide California with an unsecured claim for $875 million in the energy company's bankruptcy proceedings.

Oregon and Washington will recieve $22.5 million each from that unsecured settlement.

In addition, the three states will share a $600 million penalty.

The deal will allow California to "squeeze justice from this corporate turnip," Lockyer said.

"All things considered, this is a good resolution for the state's ratepayers."

Enron's ultimate payments to the states won't be known until its bankruptcy proceedings end, Lockyer spokesman Tom Dresslar said.

Lockyer has painted Enron as the mastermind of California's energy crisis, which was marked by blackouts and soaring consumer energy prices.

He accused the company of using trading schemes to drive up the cost of electricity in the state's newly deregulated market.

[Livyjr]

And since we are on the subject of corruption .....

"Flood of questions meets few answers - Officials sit with residents to discuss dam investigation and aid"

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Friday, July 15, 2005

FORT ANN -- It has been almost two weeks since the Hadlock Pond dam burst, and residents are still looking for answers.

Officials have heard the questions most of which start with "why" and "how much " but they are no closer to definite answers.

Facing the public Thursday night, officials admitted they don't know if the federal government will issue a disaster declaration, don't know what caused the July 2 collapse and don't know if insurance will pay for the dam's replacement.

Perhaps the most dramatic words came from Argyle Supervisor Jock Williamson, chairman of the Washington County board of supervisors.

"I have a lot of heart and wish we could write a check to each person who has a loss, but legally we can't," Williamson said.

"So if it were me sitting out there, I'd remember that restoration is up to the individual."

"It is your responsibility."

The meeting, held in the Fort Ann school, drew more than 300 people, many ready to jeer at officials who couldn't answer questions.

"Just when are we going to get answers?" one man asked, to a round of applause.

Fort Ann Supervisor Gayle Hall seemed to catch most of the heat.

Residents wanted the names of those who authorized refilling the 220-acre lake without possibly getting approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Hall was asked why the pond continued to grow when several people claimed to begin seeing problems.

"No one in town had any knowledge of the dam leaking," Hall answered.

Residents also wanted answers from the DEC as to why a dam that had existed for 100 years had to be rebuilt, and why DEC wasn't there to make daily inspections.

Sandra Allen, director of water for the DEC, said the questions of what happened are being investigated, but the main concern is trying to get a replacement.

The idea of a replacement dam met some approval.

"As far as I am concerned, why not?" Hall said.

"And do it as fast as we can."

Town Attorney John Aspland Jr. said there could be years of litigation, but money will be there quickly to pay for a replacement.

Allen said the DEC has hired the engineering firm of Clough Harbour and Associates to investigate why the $1.5 million dam project failed so quickly.

The firm has promised to have a final report by the end of August.

Allen said she doesn't foresee any criminal prosecutions.

More than a dozen homes were damaged.

But whether victims can get actual help from a federal declaration, John D'Agostino, deputy director for administration of the State Emergency Management Office, said, "We have a storm and a dam collapse."

"And we're trying as best we can to get as much assistance as possible."

Bruce A. Scruton can be reached at 454-5462 or by e-mail at bscruton@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

The real question, here in OUR America, all along, has been one of how George W. Bush comes to any kind of a decision about anything, if he can't read, and that question has finally been answered above here, by Karl Rove, and of course, Scottie "BOY" McClellan!

Karl Rove reads stuff in the newspapers, and then he tells George W. Bush about it, and then George W. Bush does something or other with what Karl Rove has told him is in the newspapers, and out of that, well, we have the official governmental policy which is fast turning OUR America into the laughing stock of the world, and a target for every two-bit TAY-RIST who thinks we all are as stupid as those down there in the White House that these two-bit TAY-RISTS think are representative of more than just that handful of the thumb-sucking, scared-out-of-their-wits-by-shadows-on-the-wall Americans who voted to put Karl Rove and George W. Bush back into the White House, because four years of ineptness and incompetence just were not enough for them and theirs!

God bless America?

God better help it, instead, because with this clown show down there in charge, we need all of that, that we can get!

"Rove E-Mailed Security Official About Talk"

By JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer

38 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - After mentioning a CIA operative to a reporter, Bush confidant Karl Rove alerted the president's No. 2 security adviser about the interview and said he tried to steer the journalist away from allegations the operative's husband was making about faulty Iraq intelligence.

The July 11, 2003, e-mail between Rove and then-Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley is the first showing an intelligence official knew Rove had talked to Matthew Cooper just days before the Time magazine reporter divulged CIA officer Valerie Plame's secret identity.

"I didn't take the bait," Rove wrote in an e-mail obtained by The Associated Press, recounting how Cooper tried to question him about whether President Bush had been hurt by the new allegations.

The White House turned the e-mail over to prosecutors, and Rove testified to a grand jury about it last year.

Earlier in the week before the e-mail, Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, had written a newspaper opinion piece accusing the Bush administration of twisting prewar intelligence, including a "highly doubtful" report that Iraq bought nuclear materials from Niger.

"Matt Cooper called to give me a heads-up that he's got a welfare reform story coming," Rove wrote in the e-mail to Hadley.

"When he finished his brief heads-up he immediately launched into Niger."

"Isn't this damaging?"

"Hasn't the president been hurt?"

"I didn't take the bait, but I said if I were him I wouldn't get Time far out in front on this."

Hadley, now Bush's national security adviser, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment Friday.

Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin, said his client answered all the questions prosecutors asked during three grand jury appearances, never invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination or the president's executive privilege guaranteeing confidential advice from aides.

Rove, Bush's closest adviser, turned over the e-mail as soon as prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into who leaked Plame's covert work for the CIA.

He later told a grand jury the e-mail was consistent with his recollection that his intention in talking with Cooper that Friday in July 2003 wasn't to divulge Plame's identity but to caution Cooper against certain allegations Plame's husband was making, according to legal professionals familiar with Rove's testimony.

They spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the grand jury investigation.

Rove sent the e-mail shortly before leaving the White House early for a family vacation that weekend, already aware that another journalist he had talked with, syndicated columnist Robert Novak, was planning an article about Plame and Wilson.

Rove also knew that then-CIA Director George Tenet planned later that same day to issue a dramatic statement that took responsibility for some bad Iraq intelligence but that also called into question some of Wilson's assertions, the legal sources said.

The AP reported Thursday that Rove acknowledged to the grand jury that he talked about Plame with both Cooper and Novak before they published their stories but that he originally learned about the operative's identity from the news media, not government sources.

Republicans cheered the latest revelations Friday, saying they showed Rove wasn't trying to hurt Plame but instead was trying to informally warn reporters to be cautious about some of Wilson's claims.

"What it says is, Karl Rove wasn't the leaker, he was actually the recipient of the information not the provider," Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman said on Fox News.

"So there are probably a lot of folks in Washington who have prejudged this, who have rushed to judgment who are trying to smear Karl Rove."

Democrats, however, said that even if Rove wasn't the leaker, someone still divulged Plame's identity and possibly violated the law.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and other party leaders asked Speaker Dennis Hastert on Friday to let Congress hold hearings into the controversy regardless of the criminal probe now under way.

"In previous Republican Congresses the fact that a criminal investigation was under way did not prevent extensive hearings from being held on other, much less significant matters," Pelosi wrote.

Federal law prohibits government officials from divulging the identity of an undercover intelligence officer.

But in order to bring charges, prosecutors must prove the official knew the officer was covert and nonetheless knowingly outed his or her identity.

Rove's conversations with Novak and Cooper took place just days after Wilson suggested in his opinion piece in The New York Times that some of the intelligence related to Iraq's nuclear weapons program was used to exaggerate the Iraqi threat.

Summarizing a trip he made to Africa on behalf of the CIA, Wilson wrote that he'd concluded it was highly doubtful the nation of Niger had sold uranium yellowcake to Iraq.

Tenet issued a lengthy statement five days later saying that he never should have allowed Bush to use the Niger information in his State of the Union address but that Wilson's report did not resolve whether Iraq was seeking uranium from abroad.

[jeffmoskin]

"If there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is and if the person has violated the law, the person will be taken care of."

-- George W. Bush, Sept. 2003

And Bush is making sure that Rove is being(well) taken care of.

[jeffmoskin]

Enron will pay $47.5 million in cash and provide California with an unsecured claim for $875 million in the energy company's bankruptcy proceedings.

In addition, the three states will share a $600 million penalty.

The deal will allow California to "squeeze justice from this corporate turnip," Lockyer said.

"All things considered, this is a good resolution for the state's ratepayers."

Oh, well. Since En-rob screwed us out of 9 BILLION DOLLARS, I gues we should be happy with our "settlement."

I guess half a slice is better than no loaf at all.

[lazyboy]

Hi, whenever they play that video of Bush saying what he said about the way they would deal with the leaker I always catch the double inuendo. You are so right. Karl Rove will be promoted.
Bush distains the opinion of Americans.

[Livyjr]

Hi, whenever they play that video of Bush saying what he said about the way they would deal with the leaker I always catch the double inuendo. 

You are so right. 

Karl Rove will be promoted.

Bush disdains the opinion of Americans.

There are no Americans anymore, lazyboy!

There are REPUBLICANS, who are a special breed apart, and then, there is the rest of us, and George W. Bush gives no more thought to what we might think than he does to what some cow out in a feedlot might be thinking when he orders it slaughtered for his supper that night!

No more thought than a Samurai gave to what an "untouchable's" name might have been when he cut off their head to make sure his new sword had a blade on it that was all the sword maker claimed it would be!

[Livyjr]

Oh, well.

Since En-rob screwed us out of 9 BILLION DOLLARS, I gues we should be happy with our "settlement."

I guess half a slice is better than no loaf at all.

Well, I was wondering how you would see that, jeffmoskin, this "deal" that has been done, ON YOUR BEHALF, of course!

jeffmoskin, if it were not for geese who lay golden eggs like you Californians, what would all these Kenny "BOY" Lay's do when they needed more gold?

Don't you know that is why they tolerate keeping you people around out there, for your remaining "life force" which they have not yet had a chance to suck out of you?

Watch your bones, jeffmoskin, lest they covet marrow, next, and as always, keep your head down and your temples firmly covered at all times, and especially in the safest recesses of your own home ....

[Livyjr]

jeffmoskin, if it were not for geese who lay golden eggs like you Californians, what would all these Kenny "BOY" Lay's do when they needed more gold?

And if you have any extra money left over, George Pataki wants some too ....

"Bankroll called clue to Pataki's intentions - Some political watchers say relatively small pool of funds raised for state campaign points to national ambitions"

By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Capitol bureau, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Saturday, July 16, 2005

ALBANY - News Friday that Gov. George Pataki has raised less than $1 million for his state campaign committee since January, coupled with his current trip to Iowa, has reignited speculation that he won't seek a fourth term in 2006 and will instead pursue a national office in 2008.

The Friends of Pataki committee took in $785,811 over the past six months, according to a financial report filed with the state Board of Elections.

It has $2.7 million on hand -- a fraction of the $12.3 million Democratic state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has amassed while ramping up fund-raising efforts for his 2006 gubernatorial run.

Aware that the governor's low fund-raising numbers would raise questions about his future, Pataki's aides sought to downplay the figures.

They pointed out that Pataki is a champion fund-raiser who could quickly restock his campaign coffers if he so desired.

Pataki's six-month fund-raising record is $12.7 million, set in the first half of 2002 -- the year he successfully ran for a third term.

"Everyone knows that the governor is one of the top fund-raisers in the nation and that he'll raise the necessary funds should he decide to seek re-election," said Pataki spokesman Kevin Quinn.

A filing later this month will show Pataki's Virginia-based federal political action committee, the 21st Century Freedom PAC, which the governor uses to pay for national activities, has raised more than $1 million since January, Quinn said.

Quinn said Pataki's focus at the state level this year has been on policy, not fund-raising.

He cited the unusually productive legislative session, which saw passage of the first on-time budget in 21 years as well as approval of ethics and lobbying reform measures.

In recent months, Pataki has sent out mixed signals regarding his next political move.

His delay of an announcement about his intentions caused many Capitol observers, who long believed he would run for national office and not a fourth term, to reconsider.

The late Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, a moderate Republican like Pataki, was the only governor in New York's history to run for a fourth term and win.

Conjecture about Pataki's future shifted again this week with the news that he would appear at the National Governors Association summer meeting, held this year in Iowa, home of the first state-level contests of the presidential primary season.

Unnamed "associates" of Pataki's were quoted Friday in The New York Times as saying the governor viewed his Iowa trip as an opportunity to see whether a moderate Republican could actually land the presidential nomination from a party that is increasingly controlled by conservatives.

During his three-day trip, which began Friday, Pataki was scheduled to attend a fund-raising lunch for the Iowa Republican Party and a Little League baseball game.

This isn't Pataki's first visit to the state.

He was the keynote speaker at the Iowa Republican Party's annual Ronald Reagan dinner in November 2003.

He also courted Iowa Republicans at the GOP's national convention in Manhattan last year and in Washington, D.C., at President Bush's reinauguration.

Benjamin can be reached at 454-5081 or by e-mail at ebenjamin@timesunion.com.

[Livyjr]

And outside of Donald Rumsfeld, George W. Bush, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, and the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE, which is George W. Bush's "political arm", which is to say "muscle", is there anyone in OUR America who is surprised at this next story, I wonder?

"National Guard Issues Concern Governors"

By ROBERT TANNER, AP National Writer

5 minutes ago

DES MOINES, Iowa - The nation's governors voiced sharp worries Saturday for the National Guard troops they share with the federal government, with concerns about recruitment targets, benefits and job prospects.

Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee, incoming chairman of the National Governors Association, said more attention must be paid to the needs of guardsmen returning from overseas deployments, especially younger Guard members who need to find work.

More than 30 governors gathered here for their summer meeting.

Both Democrats and Republicans said changes caused by the huge demands placed on the Guard and Reserves for the war in Iraq need more examination.

"It is working today," said South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican.

However, troops returning from the war zone may be affected by objections raised by their spouses and parent, Rounds said.

"The second time around, will they be allowed to re-enlist?"

"That's the question," he said.

"Most governors would say we're putting more strain on our Guard and Reserves than many people are fully comfortable with," said Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican.

The governors are scheduled to meet privately Monday with top officials of the Guard, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Homeland Security Department.

There has been an easing of worries among governors that the overseas demands would leave states without the National Guard members needed to respond to state emergencies, said Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat.

Guard officials have offered assurances they would limit call-ups, he said.

Bigger questions remain, he said.

"I don't feel we've had the full deliberations about what the role of the Guard will be," said Warner, who has been exploring a possible presidential bid.

Leaders need to consider ways to accommodate older members of the Guard and Reserves who want to do their part but can't be expected to commit to long-term, overseas deployment when they've got careers and families, he said.

States often rely on their Air and Army Guard units to help in emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes or riots.

The part-time soldiers are not often brought under federal control for missions such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"You haven't seen these kinds of participation from the states since the Civil War," Idaho's GOP Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said.

More than 250,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen have been mobilized for active duty since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, the Army general in charge of National Guard forces, said last week.

National Guard soldiers represent about 40 percent of the U.S. ground force in Iraq.

That is scheduled to drop significantly next year when the Army deploys two newly expanded active-duty divisions — the 101st Airborne and the 4th Infantry.

[Livyjr]

"2003 memo seen central to CIA leak probe - Investigators seek to learn who in White House knew of document related to diplomat's mission to Africa"

New York Times
First published: Saturday, July 16, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Prosecutors in the CIA leak case have shown intense interest in a 2003 State Department memorandum that explained how a former diplomat came to be dispatched on an intelligence-gathering mission and the role of his wife, a CIA officer, in the trip, people who have been officially briefed on the case said.

Investigators in the case have been trying to learn whether officials at the White House and elsewhere in the administration learned of the CIA officer's identity from the memorandum.

They are seeking to determine if any officials then passed the name along to journalists and if officials were truthful in testifying about whether they had read the memorandum, the people who have been briefed said, asking not to be named because the special prosecutor heading the investigation had requested that no one discuss the case.

The memo was sent to Colin Powell, then the secretary of state, just before or as he traveled with President Bush and other senior officials to Africa starting on July 7, 2003, when the White House was scrambling to defend itself from a blast of criticism a few days earlier from the former diplomat, Joseph Wilson IV, current and former government officials said.

Powell was seen walking around Air Force One during the trip with the memo in hand, said a person involved in the case who also requested anonymity because of the prosecutor's admonitions about talking about the investigation.

Investigators also are trying to determine whether the gist of the information in the memo, including the name of the CIA officer, Valerie Plame, Wilson's wife, had been provided to the White House even earlier, said another person who has been involved in the case.

Investigators have been looking at whether the State Department provided the information to the White House before July 6, 2003, when her husband publicly criticized the way the administration used intelligence to justify the war in Iraq, the person said.

The prosecutors have shown the memo to witnesses at the grand jury investigating how the CIA officer's name was disclosed to journalists, blowing her cover as a covert operative and possibly violating federal law, people briefed on the case said.

The prosecutors appear to be investigating how widely the memo circulated within the White House and the administration, and whether it might have been the original source of information for whoever provided the identity of Plame to Robert D. Novak, the syndicated columnist who disclosed it in print.

On Thursday, a person who has been officially briefed on the matter said that Karl Rove, Bush's senior adviser, had spoken about Plame with Novak before Novak published a column on July 14, 2003.

Rove, the person said, told Novak he had heard much the same information, making him one of two sources Novak cited for his information.

But the person said Rove first heard from Novak the name of Wilson's wife and her precise role in the decision by the CIA to send her husband to Africa to investigate a report, later discredited, that Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire nuclear material there.

It is not clear who Novak's original source was, or whether Novak has revealed the source's identity to the grand jury.

Rove also talked about the Wilsons with Matthew Cooper, a Time magazine reporter, on July 11, 2003, two days after he discussed the case with Novak.

After his conversation with Cooper, The Associated Press reported Friday, Rove sent an e-mail message to Stephen Hadley, then the deputy national security adviser, about the exchange, saying he "didn't take the bait" when Cooper suggested that Wilson's criticisms had been damaging to the administration.

Rove told the grand jury in the case that the e-mail message was consistent with his assertion that he had not intended to divulge Plame's identity but instead to rebut Wilson's criticisms of the administration's use of intelligence about Iraq, the AP reported, citing legal professionals familiar with Rove's testimony.

Dozens of White House and administration officials have testified to the grand jury, and several officials have been called back for further questioning.

The special prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, has sought to determine how much Ari Fleischer, the White House spokesman at the time of the leak, knew about the State Department memo.

Lawyers involved in the case said Fitzgerald asked a number of questions about Fleischer's role.

Fleischer was with Bush and much of the senior White House staff in Africa when Powell, who was also with them, received the memo.

A spokeswoman for Powell said he was out of the country and could not comment on the memo.

Fleischer said in an e-mail message this week that he would not comment on the case.

Fitzgerald has also looked into any role that might have been played by Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff.

Lawyers with clients in the case have said that their clients have been asked questions about Libby's conversations in the days after Wilson's article -- in part based on Libby's handwritten notes, which he turned over to the prosecutor.

In addition, several journalists have been asked about their conversations with Libby.

At least one, Tim Russert of NBC News, has suggested that prosecutors wanted to know whether Russert had told Libby of Plame's identity.

After Russert met with Fitzgerald, NBC said in a statement that he did not provide the information to Libby.

On Friday, for the second day in a row, Rove was at President Bush's side in a highly public appearance, a signal that Bush continues to support his powerful adviser as the political pressure mounts over Rove's role in discussing an undercover CIA officer with reporters.

Bush made no public statements about Rove, and during a trip to North Carolina ignored questions from reporters about whether he still had faith in Rove.

Aides to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the minority leader, spent the day preparing a 16-page background memorandum for senators that appeared designed to take the debate beyond Rove, raising questions about what Bush knew and when.

On another front Friday, the Washington Post reported that lawyers in the CIA leaks investigation are concerned that Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor, may seek criminal contempt charges against New York Times reporter Judith Miller, a rare move that could significantly lengthen her time in jail.

Miller, now in her 10th day in the Alexandria, Va., jail, already faces as much as four months of incarceration for civil contempt after refusing to answer questions before a grand jury about confidential conversations she had in reporting a story in the summer of 2003.

This article was reported by Douglas Jehl, David Johnston and Richard Stevenson and was written by Stevenson.

[Livyjr]

And when I read articles like this one, I have to wonder exactly why we are wasting any PUBLIC TAX MONEY at all on this EPA, and corrupt political agencies like the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which, along with other corrupt agencies like the Rensselaer County Department of Health in the State of New York, are BID-NESS's best friend, and honest folk's worst enemies .....

"Effort to cap gases denied - Federal court says EPA is not required to regulate greenhouse pollutants"

By MIGUEL BUSTILLO, Los Angeles Times
First published: Saturday, July 16, 2005

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was justified in refusing to regulate carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas linked to global warming, as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, a federal court ruled Friday in a major legal victory for the Bush administration.

A coalition of 12 states, including New York, and numerous environmental groups had argued that the EPA was legally bound to regulate carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act because global warming was a demonstrable threat to public health and safety.

But in a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia concluded that EPA officials acted within their authority two years ago when they rejected a petition demanding that they begin regulating carbon exhaust from new cars and trucks.

The decision ensures that the federal government will not force businesses to make reductions in greenhouse gases while President Bush is in office unless it is compelled to do so by Congress.

A spokeswoman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said Friday that the states that brought the suit are considering whether to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Bush promised to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants during his first campaign for president, but he reversed his position after he took office.

He now argues that mandatory measures to cut greenhouse gases would cripple the U.S. economy.

Under Bush, the United States formally rejected the Kyoto Protocol, an international pact to reduce greenhouse gases.

The administration instead has chosen to pursue only voluntary reductions programs to address scientists' concerns that global warming will lead to dangerous increases in temperature and rises in sea level.

The United States, the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, and Australia, the world's largest coal exporter, are the only two major developed nations to reject the Kyoto Protocol.

It requires participating countries to reduce greenhouse gases to about 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.

"We are pleased with this ruling and glad the court supported our decision to use voluntary programs ... to reduce carbon and greenhouse gases, instead of mandatory regulations and litigation that don't promote economic growth," said EPA press secretary Eryn Witcher.

Although many coastal states and conservation groups joined the legal challenge, several Midwestern states and industry groups entered the case in support of the administration's position, showcasing significant national differences on the proper response to global warming.

The ruling was cheered by attorneys general from Texas and Michigan, who were among the 11 states that filed arguments in favor of the administration's stance, as well as the automobile industry, which also intervened in the case.

However, California officials and other supporters of regulation noted that the court did not offer an opinion on whether the EPA had the authority to curtail greenhouse gases if it wanted to, a central issue in the dispute.

Moreover, California officials said the federal decision did not prevent states from adopting their own measures to combat global warming -- a step many states around the country have begun to take.

The International Center for Technology Assessment initially petitioned the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases in 1999.

The request came a year after a former EPA general counsel wrote in a memo to President Clinton's EPA administrator, Carol Browner, that greenhouse gases might qualify as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

But the EPA reversed its position after Bush took office, and rejected the petition in 2003.

The decision came after agency General Counsel Robert Fabricant stated in a memo that agency lawyers had revisited the issue and concluded that Congress never intended to give the EPA the power to address climate change.

In Friday's ruling, two of the three circuit judges on the panel, A. Raymond Randolph and David B. Sentelle, concluded that EPA officials had correctly decided not to regulate carbon dioxide based on their interpretation of the evidence at the time, asserting that the link between greenhouse gases and global warming had not been proven.

"In addition to the scientific uncertainty about the causal effects of greenhouse gases on the future climate of the Earth, the administrator relied upon many 'policy' considerations that, in his judgment, warranted regulatory forbearance at the time," the judges wrote.

In a lengthy dissenting opinion, David S. Tatel wrote that the EPA should not have rejected the petition, arguing that greenhouse gases appeared to clearly fit the criteria of pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

[jeffmoskin]

jeffmoskin, if it were not for geese who lay golden eggs like you Californians, what would all these Kenny "BOY" Lay's do when they needed more gold?

And by the way, just WHERE is all that gold?

You know, the gold they ROBBED from us Kah-lee-FAWN-yuns.

We were gouged 9 BILLION dollars.

Where did it go?

Cayman Islands?

Brunei?

First National bank of Bush?

[Livyjr]

And by the way, just WHERE is all that gold?

You know, the gold they ROBBED from us Kah-lee-FAWN-yuns.

We were gouged 9 BILLION dollars.

Where did it go?

Cayman Islands?

Brunei?

First National bank of Bush?

Maybe one of George W. Bush's federal judges would know!

Or Tommy DeLay!

And then, there is always George Pataki and Eliot "Big EL" Spitzer, to ask, of course!

[Livyjr]

"Rove was first source on CIA agent - Time reporter"

By Randall Mikkelsen

Sun Jul 17,11:34 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House political aide Karl Rove was the first person to tell a Time magazine reporter that the wife of a prominent critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy was a CIA agent, the reporter said in an article on Sunday.

Time correspondent Matthew Cooper said he told a grand jury last week that Rove told him the woman worked at the "agency," or CIA, on weapons of mass destruction issues, and ended the call by saying "I've already said too much."

He said Rove did not disclose the woman's name, Valerie Plame, but told him information would be declassified that would cast doubt on the credibility of her husband, former diplomat Joseph Wilson, who had charged the Bush administration with exaggerating the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction programs in making its case for war.

"So did Rove leak Plame's name to me, or tell me she was covert?"

"No."

"Was it through my conversation with Rove that I learned for the first time that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA and may have been responsible for sending him?"

"Yes."

"Did Rove say that she worked at the 'agency' on 'WMD'?"

"Yes," Cooper wrote in Time's current edition.

"When he said things would be declassified soon, was that itself impermissible?"

"I don't know."

"Is any of this a crime?"

"Beats me," Cooper wrote.

He also wrote that he was not certain what Rove meant by commenting he had already said too much.

Cooper testified on his conversations with Rove under court order before the grand jury to avoid going to jail, and had received a last-minute waiver from Rove allowing him to break a confidentiality pledge.

New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed for refusing to testify.

A federal prosecutor is investigating whether any government officials broke laws against exposing the identity of a covert CIA agent.

Columnist Robert Novak first revealed Plame's identity in July 2003, citing two administration officials, shortly after Wilson published an opinion piece in the New York Times that accused the administration of twisting intelligence on Iraq.

Wilson wrote that on a 2002 mission funded by the CIA he was unable to substantiate allegations that Iraq had tried to buy nuclear materials from Niger, as the White House asserted.

Cooper also reported on Plame's identity, attributing the information to Novak's column and administration officials, in a piece on Time's Web site shortly after Novak's column.

Wilson says the Bush administration leaked his wife's identity in retaliation for his article; Rove's lawyer said the aide had done nothing wrong and was not a target of the investigation.

Other defenders have said Rove is the victim of a smear campaign.

President Bush has said he would fire anyone responsible for the leak, but said last week he would withhold judgment on Rove's role pending the investigation.

Cooper also wrote in Time that in previous testimony to the grand jury he had discussed Wilson and his wife with Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a senior aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

He said he asked Libby whether he had heard anything about Wilson's wife sending her husband to Niger, and Libby replied, "Yeah, I've heard that too."

Rove had used the same language in discussing the issue with Novak, according to media reports.