Hey Berman...."Whats the rational for Libby lying?" is the real question..

[Flabbergasted]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/08/AR2006090801410.html

Armitage Leak Poses More Questions

By MATT APUZZO
The Associated Press
Friday, September 8, 2006; 8:08 PM

WASHINGTON -- For three years, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knew the answer to one of the biggest questions in Washington: Who leaked the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame?

Now that former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage acknowledged this week that he was the leaker, the new question is what Fitzgerald has been looking for during a quest that rattled the White House and sent a reporter to jail.

Richard Armitage, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, makes a speech at a privately sponsored conference in Tokyo, Thursday, July 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Katsumi Kasahara, File) (Katsumi Kasahara - AP)

What was the rationale for seeking an answer to a question he already knew the answer to?" asked Wayne Berman, a former assistant secretary of commerce and a supporter of the only person indicted in the leak case, former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Fitzgerald's office had no response to that question Friday.

[napi21]

1. well, I can tell you my guess.

I honestly believe Armitage did innocently relate the info to Novak, and he very well may not have known she was a NOC. Armitage was well known for being a gossip, but he was one of the fewin the inner circle who was against going into Iraq.

Libby, however, was all PNAC. Istill believe Libby is protecting someone, or maybe even more than one person. It wasn't Armitage who called all those other reporters shopping the story. I believe there was a concerted effort to disgrace Joe Wilson, and the real political killers in this admin. are Rove, Cheney, and Shrub! There may be even more than those 3 involved, but I think this was a real effort to slam the guy who publically destroyed the yellow cake story, and those folks don't take kindly to being told NO in any way at all!

Because of the closeness of Cheney & Libby, Ibelieve Libby is protecting at the very least, Cheney, and maybe several others too.

Wether or not we'll ever know for sure is the BIG QUESTION!

[Frustratedlady]

2. I may be all wet, but.........

my first impression of Armitage's confession/apology was that the administration was trying to clean that mess up. In fact, you look around and they seem to be trying to clean a lot of messes up...admitting that the CIA has secret prisons being one of the latest.