Veep In Deep - No Peep...

Veep on the Plame: Cheney On 'Meet the Press'

By E&P Staff

Among other subjects, host Tim Russert questioned Vice President Cheney about his role in the Plame/CIA leak case on "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

Here is the relevant part of the transcript.

*RUSSERT: Let me turn back home, domestic politics, and talk about the whole situation involving Scooter Libby, your former chief of staff, who was indicted by Patrick Fitzgerald. This was a document that was released in the investigation. It's a New York Times op-ed piece with your handwriting on it. And that handwriting says, 'Or did his wife send him on a junket?' referring to Ambassador Joe Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, who was a CIA, CIA agent. Did you, in any way, authorize Scooter Libby to release her name or her occupation to the press?

CHENEY: Tim, Scooter Libby is, he's a good man. He's a friend of mine. He's somebody -- one of the most competent and capable people I've ever known. He's entitled to the presumption of innocence. But there is a legal matter pending, there is going to be a trial next year, I could well be a witness in the trial, and much as I would like to talk about, and I certainly have strong opinions about the case, I think it'd be totally inappropriate for me to do so.

RUSSERT: There was a story in the National Journal that Cheney authorized Libby to leak confidential information. Can you confirm or deny that?

CHENEY: I have the authority as vice president under executive order issued by the president to classify and declassify information. And everything I've done is consistent with those authorities . . . .

RUSSERT: Do you think the president should pardon Scooter Libby?

CHENEY: I've said all I'm going to say on the subject, Tim."

Pleading the fifth?