Following The Conspiracy's Path: Did Rove Tell Tim Russert re: Plame?

[writes2000]

As more info comes out, it seems clearer and clearer that Rove & Libby have been trying to dodge the truth about the leaks. But it is also becoming clearer that Rove and Libby used the exact same tactics at the outset. They claimed that reporters told them.

Rove said he heard from Novak. Reports say that Novak refutes that. Libby claimed that he heard from Russert. Reports say that Russert refutes that.

So it seems like Rove & Libby's "brilliant" plan was to claim that they heard about Plame from conversations were they were the "confirming" source. For example, Novak called Rove, told him what he had heard about Plame and Rove confirmed the info. This way Rove doesn't look very guilty at all. Perhaps he did confirm the info but it's Rove's word against Novak.

So if Libby fingered Russert, most likely it wasn't Libby who was Russert's first source. Libby only confirmed the info. And since Russert has testified, who did he finger as his first source? Isn't Rove most likely?

If Fitzgerald has multiple reporters who have testified that Rove has told them first, Rove is going to jail for spreading classified info. If Rove did not admit to being these reporters' first source, he will be convicted for perjury. And if this was a concerted plan, Rove has got three crimes waiting for him.

[displacedtexan]

1. How stupid are Rove & Libby, exactly?

Reporters' notes are always considered concrete evidence in he said/he saids such as this one.

Cooper, Russert, Novak, et al have already turned their notes over to Fitzgerald... most likely before their testimony.

The notes are the DNA of journalists' testimony.

[writes2000]

4. I'm still deciding. Who testified first? Rove/Libby or the reporters?

[kestrel91316]

6. This is good news. Glad to hear it.

[Garbo 2004]

2. Russert offered testimony only to what he told Libby. Russert did not

provide Plame info to Libby. From NYT article citing statement previously released by NBC regarding Russert's testimony:

Mr. Russert's testimony last August provides intriguing clues. A statement issued by NBC at the time suggests that Mr. Libby had told Mr. Fitzgerald that he had heard about Ms. Wilson from Mr. Russert.

According to the statement, lawyers for Mr. Russert and Mr. Fitzgerald reached an agreement under which Mr. Fitzgerald questioned Mr. Russert only about Mr. Russert's end of a conversation in early July 2003 with Mr. Libby. That would be an unusual way to go about pursuing a leak inquiry, but it is consistent with an attempt to try to establish that Mr. Russert provided information to Mr. Libby.

Mr. Russert, however, according to the NBC statement, said "he did not know Ms. Plame's name or that she was a C.I.A. operative and that he did not provide that information to Mr. Libby." Indeed, the statement said, Mr. Russert first learned the information from Mr. Novak's column. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/politics/16reporters.html?ex=1122350400&en=62e55af72c0c6266&ei=5070&pagewanted=print

[writes2000]

3. So does this mean Libby just outright LIED about Russert?

Libby said he heard about Plame from Russert and Russert testified that he knew NOTHING about Plame so he couldn't have told Libby?

Isn't something way off about this?

Unless I'm missing some subtlety, it looks like Russert is saying that the first time he knew about any of this was when the Novak column came out.

[Garbo 2004]

5. What Russert said, according to the NBC statement released after he

was questioned by Fitz:

"Mr. Russert told the Special Prosecutor that, at the time of that conversation, he did not know Ms. Plame's name or that she was a CIA operative and that he did not provide that information to Mr. Libby. Mr. Russert said that he first learned Ms. Plame's name and her role at the CIA when he read a column written by Robert Novak later that month."

Copy of the statement here: http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/sort_of_serious_stuff/little_russ_and_the_prosecutor_23885.asp#more

It's been reported that Libby claimed he heard about Plame from Russert, but whether that indeed was his testimony, can't say. The anon "leakers" regarding the investigation and testimony apparently primarily have been defense attorneys for people who have appeared (like Luskin for one example) as far as I can tell, so there may be various axes to grind and "leaks" intended to produce public spin or finger someone else.