Why would Rove release Cooper from his pledge of anonymity?

[Bucky]

As I think this thru, I'm starting to wonder why Karl Rove released Matt Cooper from his promise to keep Rove's name confidential. Cooper, we know, was ready to go to jail the next, when Rove called him up and okayed the use of his name in court. I'm seeing two possibilities, but am open to other thoughts and insights.

One, Rove really thinks he's innocent, not that "only identified the agent's husband, not her name" crap, but believes that she wasn't an agent at the time, perhaps that she's moved high enough up the career ladder that she can be considered administrator rather than "operative" as Novak called it.

Two, Rove is acting innocent, realizes his time in government is drawing to a close, but is still playing his hand out to maintain appearances, which would make it easier to plea down to a lighter charge or launch a full innocense defence once this case hits a jury box.

Thoughts? Better theories? I know this topic hasn't been discussed very much up until now. :eyes:

[imenja]

1. Cooper's lawyers contacted Rove

Rove did not call Cooper. Cooper explained the chain of events leading to the waiver on Meet the Press. After reading a statement in the WSJ by Rove's lawyer claiming that Rove had already given Cooper a waiver, the lawyers called Rove and secured a signed waiver specified for Cooper in particular. Basically Rove had to face up to the bs his lawyer was spreading. Even after signing the waver, Rove's lawyer then criticized Cooper for failing to protect his sources.

[terrible beauty]

3. Richard Sauber

Here in my opinion is why they, the RW, are now attacking Matt Cooper.
His lawyer, Richard Sauber, in a brilliant move caught Rove and his lawyer ,Robert Luskin, in a no win situation.
Luskin made this statement "Mr. Rove hasn't asked any reporter to treat him as a confidential source in the matter," Mr. Luskin said, . "So if Matt Cooper is going to jail to protect a source, it's not Karl he's protecting." GOTCHA... because up to that point Cooper did not have a speficic waiver from Rove.
I just wonder did Luskin take it upon himself to make that statement or did Rove issue it through Luskin.
Sauber said "So I asked Mr. Luskin if he would agree to the following language, which he did, that: "Consistent with his written waiver of confidentiality he previously executed, Mr. Rove affirms his waiver of any claim of confidentiality he may have concerning any conversation he may have had with Matthew Cooper of Time magazine during the month of July 2003."

[imenja]

5. well explained

and a great gotcha for Cooper's lawyer.

[David Zephyr]

9. Exactly what happened.

Luskin shot his mouth off in a stupid moment of bravura giving Sauber more than ample reason to counsel Cooper to talk.

Cooper is a hero in this. Miller, on the other hand, is only protecting herself from being exposed as a propagandist for the White House's illegal war.

[ugarte]

2. I think Matt Cooper had already determined to testify and Rove knew it

It was a way of outting the best face on it for both of them.

[jim3775]

4. Because it's KKKarl's new legal strategy

Rove's lawyer's new story is Rove talked to cooper about "wilson's wife" but it wasn't criminal.

[Rose Siding]

6. I don't think Rove did release him- beyond the written waivers

that were arranged between the FBI and the WH, that is.

snip>
"A short time ago," Mr. Cooper said, "in somewhat dramatic fashion, I received an express personal release from my source."

But the facts appear more complicated than they seemed in court. Mr. Cooper, it turns out, never spoke to his confidential source that day, said Robert D. Luskin, a lawyer for the source, who is now known to be Karl Rove, the senior White House political adviser.
.....
Around 7:30 on Wednesday morning, Mr. Cooper had said goodbye to his son, resigned to his fate. His lawyer, Mr. Sauber, called to alert him to a statement from Mr. Luskin in The Wall Street Journal.

"If Matt Cooper is going to jail to protect a source," Mr. Luskin told The Journal, "it's not Karl he's protecting."

That provided an opening, Mr. Cooper said. "I was not looking for a waiver," he said, "but on Wednesday morning my lawyer called and said, 'Look at The Wall Street Journal. I think we should take a shot.' And I said, 'Yes, it's an invitation.' "

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/11/politics/11time.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=0409937f47d06652&ex=1278734400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[maddezmom]

13. agree...it was a smart move by Sauber's attorney..plus Time had

given up Cooper's notebook already.

[dogday]

7. If Rove is so innocent, why did he not sign this sooner and

why wait over 2 years to clear the record. In my experience it is the silent ones who are guilty....

[imenja]

8. he's guilty but he did sign a waiver two years ago

all white house employees did. This recent waiver was directed toward Cooper specifically.

[Bucky]

12. Well no one disputes that he's guilty. No one here, anyway. The big Q is

...what is he specifically guilty of. Even if he believes he's innocent, these Bushies are compulsively secretive and shut off. They hide everything. So Karl sitting quiet on this matter is no surprise even if there wasn't a criminal investigation going on.

This is of course also why it's ludicrous for anyone to argue that Rove just inadvertantly let the Plame-Wilson identity slip out in a conversation. This White House lets nothing out by accident--never mind letting the information "slip out" to three different reporters--Miller, Novak, and Cooper. This is clearly the result of a deliberative choice to make life tough on people who speak truth to power.

[Ksec]

10. yep, admitting Rove is a "source" admits guilt to a certain extent

[readmylips]

11. Cooper would be easy to discredit....

Cooper was new at dealing with the White House and would have been easy to discredit, signed waiver or not. Rove and bush need Novak and they would not go after him. The Miller woman, either she's a CIA spy or she gets her orders directly from Cheney's underground government.

Rover and bush are two of the same; born out of Lee Atwater. The biggest hoax played on this nation has been the election and presidency of little george bush, a drunk and evil man to the core.

[Guaranteed]

14. That's a really good question, and we need to figure it the hell out.

Maybe they made a deal about what Cooper would tell them.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

15. To get the heat/light on himself & off somebody else.

Now who that might be I just can't imagine,
because there are so many people more powerful
& important than Rove scurrying around the WH,
yuck yuck.

[applegrove]

16. Because he had mentioned in his own email that he spoken with

Cooper in an email. So - perhaps he was afraid of an obstruction charge or the like. Since the investigation had Rove's email. They could prove he was Cooper's source. And then of course Time let the cat out of the bag. So everyone would know it was Rove who was not 'freeing' Cooper.

Perhaps with Judy - there is no trail.