What was the President Really Saying?

I was struck by Pres. Bush's rather terse, almost elliptical comments after the indictment and resignation of Scooter Libby. What I found importatnt was what was missing: nothing about full cooperation, nothing about the seriousness of the accusations, etc. What's importatnt about this message is what is not said, I think. By its silence on these issues, I believe that the underlying message is the following: the Pres. is telling Libby that the administration is behind him, that the white house is circling the wagons, and the administration is on the offensive (read CIA beware of using this indictment as a go-ahead to undermining the war effort).
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President Bush's Statement
Published: October 28, 2005
See www.nytimes.com
The following is the transcript of President Bush's statement on the resignation of I. Lewis Libby.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Today I accepted the resignation of Scooter Libby.

Scooter has worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people and sacrificed much in the service to this country.

He served the vice president and me through extraordinary times in our nation's history.

Special Counsel Fitzgerald's investigation and ongoing legal proceedings are serious. And now the proceedings -- the process moves into a new phase.

In our system, each individual is presumed innocent and entitled to due process and a fair trial.

While we're all saddened by today's news, we remain wholly focused on the many issues and opportunities facing this country. I got a job to do, and so do the people who work in the White House. We got a job to protect the American people, and that's what we'll continue working hard to do. : I look forward to working with Congress on policies to keep this economy moving. And pretty soon, I'll be naming someone to the Supreme Court.