Fitzgerald warns against document release...

[Imagevision]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Justice Department and the special counsel investigating the leak of a CIA operative's identity pressed Congress to block legislation that would compel the administration to turn over documents related to the case, the department said in a letter released on Thursday.

The Justice Department, in a letter dated September 14, said special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald had advised that producing documents and holding hearings would interfere with his investigation. The letter was sent to the House Intelligence Committee's Republican chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan.

Republican say Congress should await the outcome of Fitzgerald's investigation.

Lawyers close to the Plame investigation say there are signs that the 20-month-long inquiry could be wrapped up within weeks. The outcome could have major political implications for Bush, whose current approval ratings are the lowest of his presidency.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-09-16T001435Z_01_YUE600905_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-BUSH-LEAK-DC.XML

[Verve]

1. I agree with Fitzgerald.

He's very secretive, as he should be when dealing with investigating the WH. Why do most Dem politicians want these documents released before his investigation is complete?

[Imagevision]

7. Why does Fitz want the documents? - umm, to do his job? wild guess?

[Verve]

27. No kidding! I thought he already had the documents and just doesn't want

them made public before his investigation is complete.

[tonkatoy57]

2. I'm confused

"The Justice Department, in a letter dated September 14, said special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald had advised that producing documents and holding hearings would interfere with his investigation."

Plus

"Republican say Congress should await the outcome of Fitzgerald's investigation."

I would have thought that the Republicans in Congress would be very eager to release the documents if it would help to scuttle Fitzgerald's investigation. What am I missing here?

[KharmaTrain]

18. Congressional Democrats Want To Investigate

I say let's do it, but now's now the time.

Fitzgerald's clock for either coming up with indictments or closing shop is a few weeks away. The fact Judy Miller remains in jail (where she should rot) says he's not rolling over here.

From all indications from anyone watching this case closely, someone's gonna get nailed with something. The grand jury will pass some type of indictment and the big money favorites are Rove and Scooter Libby. No matter whose indicted, that means the case will move forward and into a far more aggressive stage.

Fitzgerald has far more power than Congress in this matter and it makes little sense for Democrats to do much more than monitor things for now and let Fitzgerald operate without any interference.

Once indictments and testimony is revealed, then the cry for a Congressional investigation will be far greater and hold more merit. Right now the game is to get Repugnicans on record to vote against any investigation so it can be used against them in the elections next year.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. I say to wait

It's the least we could do.

[Tesla]

3. We have to show Patience

And pray for Mr. Fitzgerald!!

[Lasher]

4. I look for Republicans to do something just like this anyway...

to intentionally sabotage the investigation. I was thinking more along the lines of holding Congressional hearings and granting immunity, like they did with the traitor Oliver North.

[HereSince1628]

5. The investigation's been weeks from finishing for months.

The public got a splash of information that made it seem like things were happening, but they are not.

IMHO Fitz' is simply waiting for the Grand Jury to expire, so that he can keep Miller in the pokey as long as possible.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. Okay. On one hand, the Justice Dept. doesn't want Congress to release

documents because this would compromise national security by releasing secrets. On the other hand, the Justice Dept. is fine with a White House operative releasing to the public the name of a CIA international operative, thus compromising her safety, several operations in place for years, and the prestige of the agency and this country. Some secrets are more special than others.

Hypocrisy.

[Jersey Devil]

22. delete

[AlinPA]

8. IMHO, it looks like this case is dead. Fitzgerald was appointed by the

Bush** justice department (the Ass't AG). And we expect him to do anything other than cover it over? I know Gov Ryan in IL is now on trial after Fitzgerald prosecuted. But this is the White House where everything is whitewashed. They had hoped it would go away, now it will. Nobody in the White House will be touched. They will blame it on the media alone. Sorry folks, this has been going on too long for anything to come of it.

[EST]

9. With sinking heart, there are times when I fear you are

correct. Hope is, indeed, growing more feeble with each passing day.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Same here

:hug:

[Imagevision]

10. Ashcroft after recusing himself appointed Fitgerald because of Rove ties

[emulatorloo]

15. Rove ties to Fitz?????????????? says who?

I have never read anything that suggested Fitz was anything but honest, fair and an equal opportunity prosecutor.

[AlinPA]

21. Whose had him appointed? A Bush**- Rove ass't AG. These guys

package things that really matter to them very tightly.

[never cry wolf]

26. Nononono... Ashcroft had Rove ties, not Fitz

Rove worked on Ashcroft's senate campaign that he lost to a dead man.

[NancyG]

11. I still believe

good things are about to happen. Fitzgerald's past work shows how methodical he is. He doesn't leak and that's why you haven't heard anything. Only reason there was a flurry of information and news coverage in August was because of Cooper's statement that Rove told him. And Miller's imprisonment.

[AlinPA]

23. Good things Should happen. But this is taking too long. Typical to just

wait it out. Then by October 'murcans except us will have forgotten (I believe most already have).

[ProfessorGAC]

12. You Need To Do Some Research On Fitzgerald

He's an independent guy who has a reputation for catching the big fish. Look into his work in Illinois. You may change your opinion.
The Professor

[emulatorloo]

16. and fitz doubters can start w this article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55560-2005Feb1?language=printer

The Prosecutor Never Rests
Whether Probing a Leak or Trying Terrorists, Patrick Fitzgerald Is Relentless
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 2, 2005; Page C01

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Thanks. Also, The Chicago Tribune Archives

The whole "License for Bribe" scandal was investigated by him and his staff and BUNCHES of folks have been convicted so far.

The Professor

[AlinPA]

20. I remember that article and I realize he is thought of as a hard worker,

but it is the Bush**-Rove administration that had him appointed. Those guys don't mess around. They go for the sure thing. Everything is covered over or "fixed" with PR or new appointments.

[demgrrrll]

24. I thought I read that Comey, the person who appointed Fitzgerald

didn't have the same kind of ties to the Bush family as the other players. If this is really in the bag for Bush why did he qualify his earlier statement by moving from any involvement at all and the person cannot work in the WH to if the person has committed a crime they cannot work in the White House. If they knew the fix was in there would be no reason to backtrack on the original statement.

[AlinPA]

25. Because that latter statement by Bush** implies they know that it will be

announced that "no crime had been committed" and it was just someone having "mis-spoken" or statement of some other innocuous "error" in judgement in speaking with the media.

[emulatorloo]

13. IMHO, it is alive and well and Fitz doesn't want repugs screwing it up

with fake hearings that will whitewash and mess up the indictments

[wellstone_democrat]

28. my opinion exactly---nothing significant is coming out

low level human sacrifices, media smear, vague indications of probable activity by WH but....

too long with too little result. No one is really worried about this where it matters.

[maine_raptor]

14. Three words

"Remember Ollie North"

[Imagevision]

19. Repugs say Congress should await the outcome of Fitz's investigation!

[jim3775]

29. The doubters are forgetting something

Fitzgerald has nothing to do with the indictments, it is up to the Grand Jury. He himself cannot say "no crime as been committed", only the GJ can. Grand juries can investigate on their own, call witnessed and question them to their hearts content. They can issue criminal indictments, Fitzgerald can't. Matthew Cooper the Time reporter described the GJ as mostly thoughtful inquisitive African Americans, it was the GJ that asked most of the questions not Fitzgerald. DC is a democratic city, they aren't going to let the bush admin get away with this.

[njdemocrat106]

32. There has to be some damning stuff in those documents

Hopefully the tide will turn against BushCo VERY soon...

[KerryOn]

33. Kick.. n/t