Too much faith in Fitzgerald?

[RethugAssKicker]

Everything seems to be hanging on what Fitzgerald concludes. The DSM, The Karl Rove scandal, ... all this is already forgotten in the MSM, and we seem not to care much. Everyone just says "Wait for Fitzgerald". What if he get co-opted?.. decides to join the dark side? What then?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. patience, patience

recall that he is not swayed by pressure.
If there is something there (which we all suspect) he will find it and deal with it.

[RethugAssKicker]

8. No, I don't recall... can you recap?

[ProfessorGAC]

Go To The Chicago Tribune Archives

See what he did to the Republican party in Illinois in the License for Bribe scandal. From the governor's chief of staff on down, a bunch of people are in jail, and the Repubs lost the governor's mansion, the House, the Senate, and Illinois for Silverspoon. They are still in complete disarray.

He is not a party politician. He's a prosecutor. It's that simple.
The Professor

[ChairmanAgnostic]

26. not to mention what he is doing to Chicago's crime machine

another 47 indictments this week, with more than 20 convictions, plea bargains, AND he just interviewed the Mayor Himself.

The Mayor Himself has gotten a lot of bad news this year. His top aides arrested or quiting, "Quarter" Boyle re-indicted and convicted (He stole millions from the Tollway Authority, earning the name Quarters) and was immediately hired by Mayor Himself on hiring practices. You can guess what happened.

Fitz has no concern about party llines. Corrupt dems, GOP, it matters not one bit.

For example, the hospital construction board was populated by GOP and DEM criminals (With bribes and kickbacks in the tens of millions - it makes Ohio look like PlaySkool for fraud) those guys won't see free sunshine for decades.

I trust this guy. His spine is straight and honest, and he is smart, thorough and will have ironclad cases when he is done. Patience is a virtue at the moment.

[DanCa]

2. I keep going back on forth on t his issue

I am in the cautiously optimistic camp by myself.

[ecdab]

3. That would be a large blow

but not a fatal one.

[longship]

4. Consider this, please.

If Fitz wanted to fold the investigation he would just do it.

No. From all appearances he is pressing forward.

If he was just going to indict a couple of press and the West Wing staffers, he might have already have handed down the indictments. After all, he's been at it for the better part of two years. So I think he's got bigger fish on the hook. That might mean Condi, Chimpy, and Crashcart. Certainly Condi was in the loop on the State Dept memo that named "Plame". If she's the leaker who told the West Wing, she could be in for a rough ride. That kind of behavior might invite a capital treason charge. I think that Bandar Boosh and Crashcart are in it deeply for obstruction of justice and conspiracy. We've got two years of stonewalling and cover-up. That pretty much does it for them.

The big question:

Will Congress act if the grand jury hands down a sealed addenda to the indictments naming Chimp and Crashcart as unindicted co-conspirators?

[montanacowboy]

6. My biggest fear is Congress starts it's own investigation

on this and gives all the usual suspects immunity to come before them and testify (ala Iran Contra)- they lie like rugs and get free

and then there would be nothing Fitz could do about indictments

I think he needs to wrap this up before the wingers figure out how to wrap him up.

[Flubadubya]

13. I think Pat Roberts already plans an investigation...

by Congress, if I'm not mistaken. Someone correct me if this is wrong.

There have been a number of threads on the issue here at DU about this very issue... and Roberts would certainly be a Rethug who would try to throw a monkey wrench into any legitimate investigation. Talk about a Bushbot creep! :eyes:

[Pithy Cherub]

25. It's an almost exact replica of Iran-contra. Bob Dole did

the heavy republican lifting to have Congress totally hijack that investigation. The Independent Counsel, Lawrence Walsh remains pissed about how the republicans granted immunity for their testimony before Congress while his investigation was still occuring.

A mitigating factor MIGHT be that because the pResident's and republicans are at such low approval ratings that it would be politically fatal to try this type of gambit before the 2006 elections.

[longship]

20. Always a danger.

But the House counsels will not be in a hurry to grant immunity to everybody when the whole West Wing is involved. There will be one or two people who will speak--I think Fleischer is the guy to watch here. The rest will go down with the ship.

If the wingers try to "wrap him up", as you say, I don't think the prosecutor and grand jury will take too kindly to that. Each incident would likely figure in an additional count of obstruction of justice and would invite further conspiracy charges. No, if they hand down indictments, the West Wing will have to be very contrite and well-behaved for a change. This is very serious business.

Also, the WH will have to be very, very careful not to trigger a constitutional crisis. Any interference would be a very grave matter which very well might figure in additional articles of impeachment.

We're heading for new territory here. Gawd only knows how the Repug Congress will act in response. I think that's one reason why many Dems are being very quiet about this. They know the storm is coming and they are hunkering down in preparation. That might not be a bad strategy.

[tiptoe]

5. ThinkProgress: 'We believe [VP Cheney aide] was the major player in this'

ThinkProgress

John Hannah
Aide to Vice President Cheney
HANNAH A “MAJOR PLAYER” IN FITZGERALD PROBE: According to the UPI, “The investigation, which is continuing, could lead to indictments, a Justice Department official said. According to these sources, John Hannah and Cheney’s chief of staff Lewis ‘Scooter’ Libby were the two Cheney employees. ‘We believe that Hannah was the major player in this,’ one federal law enforcement officer said. Calls to the vice president’s office were not returned. Hannah and Libby did not return calls. <UPI, 2/4/04>

FITZGERALD PRESSURED HANNAH TO NAME SUPERIORS: The strategy of the FBI is to make clear to Hannah ‘that he faces a real possibility of doing jail time,’ as a way to pressure him to name superiors, one federal law enforcement official said.’” <UPI, 2/4/04>

[klyon]

11. Has Hannah been promoted lately?

Time will tell, somebody has to go down.

KL

[jsamuel]

21. WOW, That is new info to me!!!

[Pirate Smile]

7. Then the 2006 elections are the only hope for holding BushCo

accountable. We have to regain control of at least one branch of Congress so we can hold honest investigations.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Then we better

fix the election system.

[RethugAssKicker]

24. That's what I'm afraid of

[jobycom]

9. I'm not expecting anything to come of Fitzgerald's investigation except

more outrage. We saw this under Reagan, too, with Iran/Contra. No president has ever been caught more red handed for treason, as defined by the Constitution, and he skated to become a saint.

I sadly believe, given the state of the media and the state of division in the Democratic Party, and the willingness of some Democrats to attack each other more than the Republicans, that Bush will retire mildly unpopular, and go on to become a saint a decade after he leaves office.

Then again, I'm in a bummer mood right now and have a sick child, so my outlook is gloomy. Hopefully it will improve. :-)

[tinfoilinfor2005]

18. Nothing worse than worrying about a sick kid

or one who is in Iraq for a lie. Please have faith...there are good people out there who don't work for the dark side.

Hope your baby gets well soon!

[Prism]

10. He's a good guy

He's the federal prosecutor here in Chicago, and he really doesn't take any shit from anyone. He's a bit of a hard ass and does not bow to pressure. In fact, in the handful of times people have tried to apply political pressure to him, it's spelled bad news for the politicians.

He'll do his job.

[poverlay]

15. Yes Yes. The logical conclusion is

that Mr. Fitzgerald must have something. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas. You know~ my eyes all squished shut, my fingers crossed saying: "please let it be a bike, and not a sweater. Oh pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!" Of course I realize that makes me sound vengeful, but I would sooo like to see a little justice prevail.

[Prism]

16. Ha!

That imagery made my afternoon =)

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

14. As Jonathan Alter noted on AAR

Every story has ebb and flow. No story is in the papers every day. He reminds us that even Watergate was not in the headlines every day.

Speculation about Fitzgerald's being co-opted, or joining the dark side, or forsaking all his responsibilities to run off with Christina Aquilera, is pointless until more of the story unfolds.

I prefer to see it as waiting for Christmas morning. You can't tell what's under the wrapping by shaking the package. You've got to wait till it's opened to see what you get.

Edited for clarity.

[wli]

17. nothing will happen

A few patsies will go down. All the major offenders will get off scot-free. The PATRIOT Act and CAFTA and NAFTA will never be repealed.

More theocracy and more fascism are on the way. The rethugs aren't satisfied with thousands of Abu Ghraibs across the US (which they had before Abu Ghraib, in fact Abu Ghraib's "civilian contractors" were ex-corrections officers). They want to put up their own Auschwitzes.

[RethugAssKicker]

22. I'm afraid you may be right!

[David Zephyr]

19. I am not holding my breath, RethugAssKicker.

The Ashcroft delay followed by the Fitz delay (one year going after journalists) resulted in:

1.) Bush having a clear 2004 campaign without any indictments hanging over his administration.

2.) Fitz now up against an October deadline which is approaching fast.

I'm not holding my breath.

A Republican appointed by a White House Republican and overseen by a White House appointed Republican to investigate a White House Republicans...with no concurrent Senate or House Investigation to "check" Fitz' investigation.

I'm not holding my breath.

[RethugAssKicker]

23. I know .. but

most people here seem to have so much faith in Fitzgerald.

And, I forgot all about the investigation into Delay?... see .. bet I'm not the only one!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

27. he is not a republican, he was appointed by a maverick

senator fitzgerald (no relation) who was then kicked out of office by his own GOP (he was too independent, honest, moderate, and uncorruptable for the GOP in Illinois)

One of his sins was picking fitz as US Attorney. the number of convictions in this state has been incredible, as a result.