After meeting today with Panamanian President Martin Torrijo, George W. Bush was asked once again about the Valerie Plame case. It was a simple question, really, and one that didn't require any speculation about the course of Patrick Fitzgerald's investigation or Scooter Libby's prosecution. The president declined to answer it anyway.
Here's the illuminating back-and-forth:
Reporter: Back in October of 2000, Mr. President --
Bush: October of 2000?
Reporter: Yes, sir. Back in October of 2000, this is what you said --
Bush: Okay. Whew.
Reporter: "We will ask not only what is legal, but what is right; not what the lawyers allow, but what the public deserves." In the CIA leak case, has your administration lived up to this campaign promise?
Bush: In the -- pardon my -- I didn't hear you.
Reporter: In the CIA leak case, has your administration lived up to this campaign promise?
Bush: Oh, Deb, look, I said the other day to the press corps that was assembled in Argentina that there's still an ongoing investigation. We take this investigation very seriously, and we'll continue to cooperate during the investigation.
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