Waas on the paradox that is Scooter from HuffPo

[laststeamtrain]

<snip>

During my own reporting on Libby, one close friend who had served with him in the White House told me: "He's no freelancer. It's incomprehensible that the Scooter we all knew one day turned into some sort of loose cannon."

Others I interviewed described him as deliberative, meticulous, and careful to a fault.

How could it be that Libby--- seemingly such a stickler for the rules-- outed Valerie Plame, as prosecutors claim in their case against him?


<snip>

But if Libby's grand jury testimony is to be believed, it was Cheney, not Libby, who constantly was the one pushing Libby to leak classified information to the press. Both Cheney and Libby have said that Cheney never ordered him to leak information to the press about Plame. And Libby has claimed that if he did speak to reporters about Plame, he was merely passing along to them rumors that he had heard from Russert and other reporters that Plame was a CIA officer.

But federal investigators from the earliest days of the leak investigation have theorized that Libby was attempting to cover up for Cheney. The loyal staff man was only being loyal. Even in defending Libby, his friend, the political operative, Mary Matalin has described him as "Cheney's Cheney"; "an absolutely salient translator" for the man he adored and was his boss.

<snip>

According to Fitzgerald, Cheney not only knew that his aide was about to meet with Miller, but encouraged him as to what to say at the meeting. Libby's own notes contained an instruction, presumably from Cheney, to "tell information to Ms. Miller on July 8."

<more>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murray-waas/exclusive-the-paradox-th_b_38902.html

[illinoisprogressive]

1. Libby drank the koolaid and became Cheney's girl friday.

[TheMadMonk]

2. Even passing on a rumour is a big no no.

How many times have we heard "I can not comment" in response to reporters questions about what they have heard.