NY Times, Wash. Post revised White House pledge to fire Plame leakers
Responding to the July 2003 outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame, the White House made an unqualified pledge to fire any administration official involved in leaking Plame's identity. But following allegations that White House senior adviser Karl Rove was involved in the Plame leak, The New York Times and The Washington Post presented this pledge more narrowly, writing that President Bush promised to fire only those administration officials who "knowingly" or "illegally" disclosed Plame's identity.
The distinction between what Bush actually pledged and what the Post and the Times reported that he pledged is significant. By pledging unequivocally to dismiss anyone who leaked classified information, Bush is now in a bind; recent reports reveal that Rove told Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper that former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV's wife worked at the CIA. If the perception takes hold that Bush had pledged only to fire anyone found to have "illegally" or "knowingly" leaked, then he could retain Rove, barring a criminal conviction, and claim that he kept his promise.
The Times reported on July 14: "Mr. Bush's comment came nearly two years after he suggested that he would fire anyone in his administration who had knowingly leaked the identity of the operative, Valerie Wilson."
The Post reported on July 14: "The White House had declared that Rove was not involved in Plame's unmasking, and, when the controversy broke in the summer of 2003, Bush said he would fire anyone who illegally outed a CIA official."
But as Media Matters for America documented, White House press secretary Scott McClellan explicitly stated in a September 29, 2003, press conference that Bush would fire anyone involved in outing an undercover CIA operative. McClellan did not hinge dismissal on criminal or intentional action:
Q: Scott, has anyone -- has the president tried to find out who outed the CIA agent? And has he fired anyone in the White House yet? McCLELLAN: Well, Helen, that's assuming a lot of things. First of all, that is not the way this White House operates. The president expects everyone in his administration to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. No one would be authorized to do such a thing. [...] McCLELLAN: The president has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration.
Bush himself stated on September 30, 2003, that he would "take appropriate action" against "anybody in my administration who leaked classified information."
By retroactively amending Bush's words, the Post and the Times asserted that Bush said something even some Republicans reportedly think he wasn't sufficiently clear about. According to a July 14 San Francisco Chronicle article by Washington reporter Carolyn Lochhead, "Privately, Republicans concede the controversy hurts and wonder why Bush does not simply say Rove did not break the law and clarify that when he said he'd fire anyone in his administration for revealing classified information, he specifically meant someone who broke the law." If as the Post said, Bush's pledge was already limited to those who acted illegally, why would his supporters hope he would amend it now?
Posted to the web on Thursday July 14, 2005 at 3:32 PM EST
Subscribe to our newsletters to receive items via e-mail
Senators voted down an amendment "To protect classified information and to protect our servicemen and women.", attached to a "Department of Homeland Security Appropriations" Bill.  The amendment would have revoked access to classified information from federal employees who disclose the information to unauthorized sources. This followed an attempt by  Senators to strip  Karl Rove of his security clearance.

The amendment comes as George W. Bush declined to reaffirm his pledge to fire any official involved in the leaking of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame after documents  by the  named his chief advisor Karl Rove as a source of the leak.

In a press briefing on September 29th, 2004, White House spokesman , in response to the question "Scott, has anyone — has the president tried to find out who outed the CIA agent? And has he fired anyone in the White House yet?", stated that "The president has set high standards, the highest of standards for people in his administration. He's made it very clear to people in his administration that he expects them to adhere to the highest standards of conduct. If anyone in this administration was involved in it, they would no longer be in this administration."  The next day, in a meeting with business people, George W. Bush said that "If somebody did leak classified information, I'd like to know it, and we'll take the appropriate action."  The   and The   however, misrepresented Bush's promise as a promise to fire only those administration officials who "knowingly" or "illegally" disclosed Plame's identity.

In a press conference this Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan was asked if the president stood by his statements made in September 2003, in light of recent evidence that Karl Rove was involved in the leak.  Scott McClellan declined to reaffirm this policy, citing an ongoing investigation.

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

"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," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

The statements made by Scott McClellan two years ago were made during the investigation that continues and may have prejudiced the outcome of the investigation.  When reporters asked McClellan to explain this inconsistency, McClellan gave the same response.  When asked if the Administration was told not to discuss the investigation while it was ongoing ''after'' he claimed that Karl Rove was not involved in the leak, and not before, Scott McClellan gave the same response. 

Senate  leader Harry Reid of  added this amendment to the Bill:
:''"No federal employee who discloses or has disclosed classified information, including the identity of a covert agent of the Central Intelligence Agency, to a person not authorized to receive such information shall be entitled to hold a security clearance for access to such information."

Senate Majority Leader , -., amended the amendment:
:''"...or any federal officeholder who makes reference to a classified Federal Bureau of Investigation report on the floor of the United States Senate, or any federal officeholder that makes a statement based on a FBI agent¹s comments which is used as propaganda by terrorist organizations thereby putting our servicemen and women at risk, shall not be permitted access to such information or to hold a security clearance for access to such information."

The first part of this amendment was in response to Joe Wilson's correction of George W. Bush's representation of his and his associates' intelligence assessment regarding .  The second was in response to recent criticism of the treatment of prisoners in detention facilities operated by the United States, most notably at  by officials including Senator .

The Republican-controlled Senate ultimately voted down both amendments on July 14th.

 Representative , , has introduced legislation for an investigation that would compel senior administration officials to turn over records relating to the Plame disclosure.