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Daily Show Argument Exposes Obama as Bush Lite

Judge questions DoJ's claim about Cheney

By M. Morris, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 19, 2009 4:51 PM CDT

(Newser) – A Justice Department lawyer argued in court yesterday—with a straight face—that releasing statements Dick Cheney made during the Valerie Plame investigation could cause future administration officials to hold back out of fear their statements would “get on The Daily Show.” The judge overseeing the hearing seemed skeptical, and had nothing on Dan Froomkin, who writes in the Washington Post, “This is not just wrong, it’s perversely wrong.”

The Obama Justice Department has picked up where its predecessor left off—right down to using an opinion by torture-memo author Stephen Bradbury, “the utterly discredited head of the Office of Legal Counsel” under President Bush, Froomkin fumes. He explains: “Why all this still matters is that it’s long been clear that prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was hot on Cheney’s trail until he was obstructed by a pack of lies from former vice presidential chief of staff I. Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby.”

The eye of the storm: former CIA operative Valerie Plame and her husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, seen in a July 14, 2006, file photo. (AP Photo)

Protecting former VP Dick Cheney's delicate feelings seems to be a priority for the Obama administration, Dan Froomkin argues in the Washington Post. (AP Photo)

Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks at the Gerald R. Ford Foundation Journalism Awards luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, June 1, 2009. (AP Photo)

US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who interviewed then-VP Dick Cheney in the course of the Scooter Libby investigation, is on the record saying he made no deals regarding the use of that material. (AP Photo)

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Daily Show Argument Exposes Obama as Bush Lite

Judge questions DoJ's claim about Cheney

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Bush administration • Dick Cheney • CIA • Department of Justice • Valerie Plame • Patrick Fitzgerald • Joseph Wilson • Lewis Scooter Libby • Obama administration • U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan • Emmet Sullivan • Stephen Bradbury

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More Newser Stories

Bush Considered Dumping Cheney in '04

President 'wanted to show who was in charge,' he writes in 'Decision Points'

CIA Head Was OK With Destroying Torture Tapes

Emails indicate Porter Goss agreed with the decision

Shut It, Cheney: White House

'Bellicose rhetoric' about war failed before, fails now: Pfeiffer

Cheney: Obama 'Won't Admit We're at War'

President is too soft on terrorism, says former VP

Cheney: Wilson Mission Was CIA 'Amateur Hour'

New docs show former veep thought ill of Plame husband's Nigeria trip

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Daily Show Argument Exposes Obama as Bush Lite

Judge questions DoJ's claim about Cheney

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Bush administration • Dick Cheney • CIA • Department of Justice • Valerie Plame • Patrick Fitzgerald • Joseph Wilson • Lewis Scooter Libby • Obama administration • U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan • Emmet Sullivan • Stephen Bradbury

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Bush Considered Dumping Cheney in '04

President 'wanted to show who was in charge,' he writes in 'Decision Points'

CIA Head Was OK With Destroying Torture Tapes

Emails indicate Porter Goss agreed with the decision

Shut It, Cheney: White House

'Bellicose rhetoric' about war failed before, fails now: Pfeiffer

Cheney: Obama 'Won't Admit We're at War'

President is too soft on terrorism, says former VP

Cheney: Wilson Mission Was CIA 'Amateur Hour'

New docs show former veep thought ill of Plame husband's Nigeria trip

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Newser By Users

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