Scooter has cooties ... no backsies!

George Bush has long maintained that he was unaware of attacks by any member of his administration against former ambassador Joseph Wilson.

However, copies of handwritten notes by Vice President Dick Cheney, introduced at trial by defense attorneys for former White House staffer Lewis "Scooter" Libby, would appear to implicate George W. Bush in the Valerie Plame CIA Leak case.




Cheney had written "not going to protect one staffer (Karl Rove) and sacrifice the guy (Scooter Libby) that was asked to stick his head in the meat grinder because of incompetence of others"

However, when Cheney wrote these notes, he had originally written "this Pres." instead of "that was.” The words "this Pres." were crossed out and replaced with "that was," but are still clearly legible in the document.

During cross-examination Tuesday morning, David Addington was asked specific questions about Cheney's notes and the reference to President Bush. Addington, former counsel to the vice president, was named Cheney's chief of staff - a position Libby had held before resigning.

"Can you make out what's crossed out, Mr. Addington?" Wells asked, according to a copy of the transcript of Tuesday's court proceedings.

"It says 'the guy' and then it says, 'this Pres.' and then that is scratched through," Addington said.

"OK," Wells said. "Let's start again. 'Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the guy ...' and then what's scratched through?" Wells asked Addington again, attempting to establish that Cheney had originally written that President Bush personally asked Libby to beat back Wilson's criticisms.

"T-h-i-s space P-r-e-s," Addington said, spelling out the words. "And then it's got a scratch-through."

"So it looks like 'this Pres.?'" Wells asked again.

"Yes sir," Addington said.

As the trial continues, there will not doubt be more surprises to come.