Libby Trial could be Turning Point for CHENEY..

[Tellurian]

Libby Heads to Trial in CIA Leak Case

...If Cheney is caught in a lie, he could be IMPEACHED on the stand.

Jan 13, 2007

By MATT APUZZO and MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby goes on trial Tuesday over the administration's response to one critic who questioned assertions President Bush made four years ago to justify waging war against Iraq.

Once the right-hand man to Vice President Dick Cheney, Libby faces charges of perjury and obstruction of an investigation into the leak of a CIA officer's identity to reporters.

Libby joins a long list of presidents' men to face charges in the federal courthouse in the nation's capital - Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman in Watergate, Adm. John Poindexter and Marine Col. Oliver North in Iran-Contra.
In those scandals, trials spawned more trials and long reports from independent counsels. Libby, however, probably will be the only official charged in the CIA leak investigation. His trial is unlikely to fix blame for the scandal and there will be no narrative report.


The trial, nevertheless, should give the public glimpses of how Bush administration insiders responded to one high-level critic - former ambassador Joseph Wilson - who claimed the president and his closest advisers distorted intelligence and lies to push the nation into war with Iraq.

http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fapnews.myway.com%2Farticle%2F20070113%2FD8MKGN280.html

[acmavm]

1. This will be interesting. And expect a whole lot of obstruction from the

clowns in the White House. They are ABOVE the law, don't ya know?

[Tellurian]

2. more...

Wilson was the leading critic of Bush's claim that Iraq tried to buy uranium in Africa. Wilson, who was sent to Niger to check the uranium story, told reporters the intelligence did not check out and the administration knew that long before Bush included the assertion in his State of the Union speech in January 2003. The criticism led White House officials - including Cheney - to begin questioning how Wilson ended up making the trip and whether Wilson's wife, a CIA officer, was involved. In June 2003, the back-room chatter made its way into the press.

Wilson says the information about his wife - Valerie Plame - was leaked on purpose as retaliation and was part of an effort to silence other critics in the intelligence world.
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald spent three years investigating that claim but filed no charges based on the leak itself. He says his work is done except for trying Libby, who resigned after being indicted in October 2005.

Fitzgerald has made clear in court that he wants to keep the larger, political backstory out of the trial and focus narrowly on whether Libby lied to his investigators and obstructed the case. That leaves Libby in the unexpected position of wanting to talk about the whole story of the leak and who else was involved. Libby's lawyers say Plame's identity was not disclosed because of a grand conspiracy, but rather because of political infighting among the CIA, the White House and the State Department over intelligence failures on Iraq.

<...>

The case will make history as the first time a sitting vice president has testified at a criminal trial, historians say. Libby's lawyers say they plan to call Cheney, who can bolster claims that Libby had more pressing things on his mind than Plame.


Fitzgerald argues that Libby deliberately made up his version of the Russert conversation to conceal a concerted White House effort to learn about Plame.

An open question is whether Libby will call Karl Rove, Bush's political strategist, who also spoke to reporters about Plame. Fitzgerald considered but decided against charging Rove over his statements to investigators.
As the political storm grew in 2003, Bush's spokesman pledged that anyone who leaked Plame's name would be fired. But in 2005, when Rove was under suspicion, Bush himself backed off that claim; the president said only that he would fire anyone who committed a crime.

Jury selection begins Tuesday in a trial that is expected to last about six weeks. Jurors probably will be asked about their political views, their their stance on the war and their feelings about the administration.

[SharonRB]

5. That last paragraph tells me it will take a very long time

to seat a jury suitable to the defense.

[wakeme2008]

7. But the good news is both the Pros and the Defense have only a fixed

number of strikes they can use. Once done they have to take the next group of people.

[SharonRB]

15. It's a good thing, too

Because if they weren't limited in how many they can refuse to take, jury selection could go on until the end of time.

[Tellurian]

27. ...

[Tellurian]

9. You well maybe right about that...but it will eventually be done..

AND....worth the wait!

[CTyankee]

25. God, I wish I could be on that jury! But no way, since I am such an

enraged liberal about this case and I adore Joe Wilson. Also, my son is a prosecutor with the Brooklyn DA's office. That has gotten me out of 2 jury summonses....

Also, I'm a CT resident, of course...

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Notice the assumptions in the story about the outcome?

Libby, however, probably will be the only official charged in the CIA leak investigation. His trial is unlikely to fix blame for the scandal and there will be no narrative report.


I happen to disagree.

[Tellurian]

8. No, Libby has already admitted it was Cheney's idea..

There is also another witness...a Ms.Martin, a VP aide that was present during
the Cheney /Libby meeting. Cheney has a habit of writing notes in the margins of
newspaper articles then passing it on to a designee to "fix it".

He did so when an article appeared stating Wilson declared Bush's SOU Address pressing
the case for a preemptive attack on Iraq was a LIE.

Cheney is in deep doo-doo.. waist deep, as a matter of fact.

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Three people

equals a conspiracy.

Did Ms. Martin testify to the Grand Jury? I wonder if she perjured herself too?

[Tellurian]

12. There was a leak of GJ testimony a few days ago..

reading what limited info there was...I did not read anything about Martin.
She maybe Cheney's smoking gun...If he Lies!

[Tellurian]

20. kpete posted the GJ Leak ...just found it..

doesn't look too promising for Cheney..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3109039

[patrice]

22. Cheney writes notes on articles in newspapers directing staff to

"fix it"?????????

Wow. That makes my head spin just to think such a thing possible by ONE person!!!!!!!

[Uben]

4. I suspect...

...that Fitzgerald has some pointed questions for Cheney that he already knows the answers to, but wants to see if Cheney is forthcoming. If Cheney cannot resist the urge to lie or twist answers, I suspect he will be confronted for his disengenuous replies.

[Tellurian]

10. Cheney may be advised to take the 5th...nm

[tanyev]

6. Yeah, cause even if what he did doesn't bother you, the fact that

he would lie about it means that he needs to be impeached. We heard that ad nauseam in the 90s.

[applegrove]

13. Or they could pardon Libby because it is "Wartime". Can they do that

before a trial?

[patrice]

14. Isn't what happened with Plame *at minimum* Malfeasance??

Or out right Treason for creating a Grave Danger to the Security of the U.S., by increasing our exposure to WMDs in an International Market that is Bullish on Terrorism???

I'm trying to remember my UCMJ stuff from my Air Guard days. I recall there being a criteria of "grave" damage and/or danger, or threat to National Security.

Plame knew about WMDs. BushCo LIED about WMDs and intentionally damaged U.S. Intelligence re WMDs, on purpose as demonstrated by the Downing Street Minutes, all resulting in Grave Danger to U.S. Isn't that Treason?

[Tellurian]

17. Poppy Bush created legislation protecting CiA operatives..

A serious crime for revealing the identity of a CiA agent/operative.

"National Security Act of 1947"

you can read here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/laws/iipa.html

[JohnnyLib2]

16. Nightmare: Cheney fingers Bush and becomes president.

I mean, which one would you bet on for toughness, survival, and cunning?

[Tellurian]

18. Poppy Bush would have him eliminated in a heartbeat..

If he ever pulled a stunt like that, rather Cheney take the fall for little boots.
Cheney can easily be replaced. His biggest responsibility is as a tie breaker for the Senate.

[JohnnyLib2]

19. Fine by me, LOL.

I just can't underestimate the rattlesnake Dick.

[Tellurian]

21. ck post #20

good read..

[sam sarrha]

24. i think he actually deliberatly shot the lawyer in a fit of rage.. havent seen him since

[Mikey929]

31. What?

Evidence? Cite? Or is this just your personal feeling based on your hatred of the man?

[Missy Vixen]

33. What would you suggest it is, Mikey929?

>Or is this just your personal feeling based on your hatred of the man?<

I find it odd that the gentleman in question hasn't been widely seen since the incident. I also find it odd that to this day, there was no explanation regarding the delay of reporting the accident, or how the accident happened in the first place.

If any one of us would have shot a friend "hunting", there would have been a complete and immediate investigation. There also would have been some hard questions asked regarding alcohol/drug consumption before, during or after the hunt.

Julie

[Mikey929]

34. Evidence

Here's my point. In a hunting incident like this amongst friends, the presumption is that it was an accident. If you are going to allege it was an intentional act, then I think the burden is on you to show some evidence of it. To say it was on purpose and then demand that I prove it wasn't is simply illogical. Under your logic, I could say to you, "Prove to me Vince Foster wasn't murdered." It would make no sense.

And contrary to your assertion, it was immediately reported to local authorities. It was not made PUBLIC till the next day, but it was immediately reported and the man was given immediate medical attention. There was no delay in reporting it.

Lastly, the victim of the accident is an elderly man who was never in the public eye to begin with. So why would you expect him to be in the public eye now?

[Missy Vixen]

35. No, it was not

>And contrary to your assertion, it was immediately reported to local authorities.<

Those same local authorities wanted to question Dick Cheney after the incident. He did not appear before them for multiple hours afterwards -- enough time for, let's just say, alcohol in his system to dissipate. Two of the members of the shooting party had also departed the scene by the time the authorities were allowed to question Cheney. This has been widely reported.

>It was not made PUBLIC till the next day, but it was immediately reported and the man was given immediate medical attention. There was no delay in reporting it.<

The man was given immediate medical attention at the scene, if I recall correctly, by the medical team that is constantly with Cheney. The victim was also airlifted to a hospital when it appeared his injuries were life-threatening. I clearly remember a delay between when the shooting happened and when the reporting of it happened, and I also clearly remember questions about that delay.

>So why would you expect him to be in the public eye now?<

Considering the FACT that he was brought forth for damage control in the national media, ("gosh, I'm sorry you shot me in the face,") I'm more than a little curious as to how his recovery is progressing.

Julie

[sam sarrha]

23. na... Cheney resigns and Condi becomes VP, so they wont impeach W, can you imagine Condi as Prez

[Imagevision]

32. Cheney IS the president...

[Tellurian]

26. If you care to participate on Jan 16th...

...you're invited to join in...Bloggers Jane Hamsher and Christy Harden of Firedoglake have gained access to hearings..here at this link:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/12/were-going-to-dc/

On Tuesday, January 16th while jury selection begins in the Libby trial,
Talk Left will be doing a live chat at 2:00 pm ET for the Washington Post. ..here at this link..

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2007/1/12/17453/4759

It will focus on the key players, the charges, the likely defense, the jurors each side will look for, and the probable key witnesses for each side.

You can begin submitting questions now on these or other related issues at this link:

http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/content/submit_nation40.htm

[hang a left]

28. Talkleft is contracting with the WP?

WTF????????

Now I know why they bailed on the case after Rove went unindicted. I distinctly remember them saying "it's over".

[Eurobabe]

29. Crashcart was looking a little sickly on TV shows Sunday AM

Good!!

[AtomicKitten]

30. Clinton was impeached for testimony given in a deposition.

This may very well be the easy route to impeaching Shooter.

[Marrak]

36. Dead-eye is already reaching out...

to the Air-Force grade methamphetimnes and single-malt scotch...just keep him away from the gun cabinet...

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