In a press release issued this afternoon, Libertarian Party National Executive Director Joe Seehusen has called on President George W. Bush to fire White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove:
"When the scandal first came to light, President Bush said that if any White House employee was responsible for the leak, they would be fired. We know now that Karl 'the Architect' Rove was a source of the leak. It's time for Bush to follow through with his promise by firing his deputy chief of staff."
As an active duty Marine (and later at the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission), I held a security clearance from 1989 – 1995 and served as security manager from 1992 – 1994 (processed clearances and conducted oversight of classified message traffic in and out of the office) for the Legislative Assistant to the Commandant at Headquarters Marine Corps. I can attest to the fact that minor (even accidental) infractions with regard to the handling of classified information and materials can wield potentially significant punishments to include nonjudicial punishment, courts-martial, revocation of clearances and even prison time.
The deliberate disclosure of a current CIA agent is light years beyond that. For political advantage, it appears that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove sacrificed his legal responsibility to not divulge classified information to anyone not possessing an equal or higher clearance for such information AND a need to know said information. What Rove is accused of doing would likely land an enlisted man or woman (or civilian employee) in prison for decades.
The fact that he still holds a clearance and that the White House has not acted on this matter, other than to initially claim through Scott McClellan that he was not involved, is an affront to the men and women who view their clearances seriously, conduct their dealings with classified information professionally, and have proven themselves worthy of the trust granted in them by their nation.
Protecting (or condoning through inaction) the actions of those who divulge classified information for political gain is shameful and an insult to true professionals who take their jobs seriously. It is far past time for the President to show some leadership on this matter.
This entry also posted at the weblog for Veterans for Common Sense.
Related:
- LP Blog on Karl Rove Scandal Heats Up
- LP Blog on Time's Matt Cooper Addresses "Rovegate" on MTP
- Third Party Watch on Libertarians Demand Rove's Head
- Stirling Newberry of BopNews on How Bad Is it for Rove?
What’s perhaps most galling is that they won’t even *say* anything about it!
Whether Rove actually committed a crime or not is not the point. It’s Clintonism
all over again.