Now they're after FITZ: knew about Armitage, but kept case open 2 years

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: New Questions About Inquiry in C.I.A. Leak
By DAVID JOHNSTON
Published: September 2, 2006

WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 — An enduring mystery of the C.I.A. leak case has been solved in recent days, but with a new twist: Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the prosecutor, knew the identity of the leaker from his very first day in the special counsel’s chair, but kept the inquiry open for nearly two more years before indicting I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, on obstruction charges.

Now, the question of whether Mr. Fitzgerald properly exercised his prosecutorial discretion in continuing to pursue possible wrongdoing in the case has become the subject of rich debate on editorial pages and in legal and political circles.

Richard L. Armitage, the former deputy secretary of state, first told the authorities in October 2003 that he had been the primary source for the July 14, 2003, column by Robert D. Novak that identified Valerie Wilson as a C.I.A. operative and set off the leak investigation.

Mr. Fitzgerald’s decision to prolong the inquiry once he took over as special prosecutor in December 2003 had significant political and legal consequences. The inquiry seriously embarrassed and distracted the Bush White House for nearly two years and resulted in five felony charges against Mr. Libby, even as Mr. Fitzgerald decided not to charge Mr. Armitage or anyone else with crimes related to the leak itself.

Moreover, Mr. Fitzgerald’s effort to find out who besides Mr. Armitage had spoken to reporters provoked a fierce battle over whether reporters could withhold the identities of their sources from prosecutors and resulted in one reporter, Judith Miller, then of The New York Times, spending 85 days in jail before agreeing to testify to a grand jury....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/washington/02leak.html?hp&ex=1157169600&en=012af30d606f9608&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[hootinholler]

1. Typical

Thanks for the heads up.

-Hoot

[Me.]

2. Was Waiting For This To Start

He's a big guy, he can take it. Sooner or later these bastards will get theirs. These egregious little creeps are getting desperate. Nothing has turned out right for them, and neither will this. Heard tonight, on KO, that despite reports to the contrary, a decision hasn't been made as whether or not to include Armitage in the lawsuit. Either way, deposition or witness, he knows where the bodies (OSP/WHIG) are buried and I hope they drag it out of him.

*shadow government*

[sendero]

28. I hope so..

... nothing would make me happier than for them to really piss him off. Becuase he still holds a lot of cards - he can't create convictions but he absolutely CAN create indictments.

If I were a puke involved in this mess I'd keep my head down and my stupid pie-hole shut.

[petgoat]

60. Armitage's loose lips don't exonerate Rove one bit.

If Novak called Karl asking for confirmation, Karl should
have said he couldn't confirm or deny and that Novak
better not say anything about it to anybody because
either it was not true and he had no story or it was
true and he couldn't write it.

[deminks]

3. Wapo and the Times both must have gotten their checks this week.

Same desperation, different page.

[upi402]

4. k/r n/t

[TomInTib]

5. Why aren't we focusing more on Armitage?

He is just too easy.

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Richard_Armitage

[applegrove]

9. Because at the time Armitage and Powell were patsies. Powell a few

months earlier had made a speech and he himself had to go through it in the days before and pick out the bullshit. I don't think they were in the loop that much. Were either of them in that secret group that put together the case for war in Iraq? WMDs?

Nobody who leaked has been charged so far. Only Libby who lied. We've all been through the shock of "you cannot charge someone when you cannot make a case against them" a la Rove. Armitage fits right in to that emotional event. So it is easy to say.. aw..another one leaked.

[applegrove]

6. Well - he needed to find out what all the other reporters knew and when

they knew it. Judy kept her mouth shut. So did the Cooper. So he kept looking and pushing. Obviously Armitage didn't tell either of them. And when Judy finally spoke..Libby had commited a crime way back at the very begining.

I don't see a problem. If they were going to be charged with outing a CIA operative purposely and willfully to hurt her... Armitage would be charged too. But neither he nor Rove have been. That sounds fair to me!

Libby lied. He has to face the courts.

[janx]

40. When Libby goes to court, they'll have to find a motive, yes?

Doing so could bring a lot more informationn to light.

[applegrove]

52. I have no idea. He will get a pardon. I really doubt that we will see

much of anything. We have seen very little so far in terms of reality behind the curtain. Why on earth would that change any time soon. Bush will just pardon him and then make a statement that Libby was doing a service to his country in a time of war..it was propaganda directed at the enemy outside of the USA..or some confabulation (is that a word?).

[Webster Green]

7. Wilson and Plame should sue these "news"papers for libel....

...and slander.

Where's the yellow cake?

[blogslut]

8. I'm wondering if these Fitz bombs of late

...are pre-emptive? Prehaps something's coming down the pike that doesn't bode well for certain fellas in high offices? A little sand in the umpire's face?

[Disturbed]

10. Anybody that thinks Fitz is stupid is seriously delusional or

severly mentally challenged. The Busholini Regime and it's hangers on are sweating buckets. Ever notice how much Busholini sweats?

[EVDebs]

12. Fitz doesn't look too good in the 9-11 book Triple Cross

Triple Cross
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-lance/triple-cross-nat-geo-cha_b_28270.html

apparently he's 'in the bag' so to speak of the BushCo BFEE. He won't harm his masters...

"My most astonishing, findings involved Patrick Fitzgerald, the former head of Organized Crime and Terrorism in the SDNY, who had allowed Ali to remain free as early as 1994 even though he named him as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Day of Terror case. Another of my key findings was that Fitzgerald buried probative evidence of an al Qaeda New York cell in 1996.

Beginning in January 1996 Fitzgerald effectively ran Squad I-49, but I learned that despite wiretaps on the key cell members and hard evidence in 1997 that Ali Mohamed (an FBI informant) was a major player in the Embassy bombing plot - he allowed him to remain free.

Most shocking were two face to face meetings Fitzgerald had with Mohamed in 1997. After the first meeting in April "Fitzie," as Cloonan called him, declared Ali "the most dangerous man" he'd "ever met" and announced that "we cannot let this man out on the street." But Fitzgerald did, even though in October of 1997 Ali told him that he loved bin Laden and didn't need a fatwa to declare war against the U.S. where he'd become a naturalized citizen. Fitzgerald had convicted blind Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and 9 others for seditious conspiracy two years earlier, yet he permitted Mohamed to operate in the open and didn't arrest him until after the simultaneous truck bombings in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7th, 1998 which followed Ali Mohamed's 1993 surveillance with surgical precision. "

Impeach them all, let God sort them out.

[madrchsod]

15. so the bush klan and fitzgerald are co conspirators in the

terrorist attacks around the world from the early 90`s to at least 9/11? dam this guy must have been deep cover for years.

[petgoat]

17. Ali Mohammed was involved in the 1993 WTC Bombing.

He was a Sergeant in the Army and used to visit NYC on weekends to give
weapons training to the Blind Sheikh's al Qaeda cell.

Fitzpatrick was involved in the prosecution of the Blind Shiekh. Ali Mohammed
was not prosecuted.

Later, around '96, Fitzgerald was involved in an investigation of Osama bin
Laden.

After that, Fitzgerald handled the plea bargain negotiations of Ali Mohammed
with respect to his participation in the African embassy bombings. Ali Mohammed
pled guilty, but he was never sentenced, and nobody knows where he is today.

I don't know what to make of Fitzgerald. It could be that he just went along
with what was happening and now he's had enough and he's fighting back. Or it
could be that he's been a Bushcist asset all along.

[Leopolds Ghost]

58. "He was never sentenced, and nobody knows where he is today"

Huh?? Are you sure about this?

[petgoat]

59. That's the allegation, and I've never learned different.

He could be in Gitmo, he could be in Santa Clara, CA. He used to sell used
cars there. He seems to be quite a guy. Met an American woman on the
plane flying in and married her six weeks later.

[H2O Man]

26. Way wrong.

Mr. Fitzgerald is many things. "In the bag" of the BFEE is not even close to accurate.

[EVDebs]

53. "By their fruits ye shall know them"...

"Actions speak louder than words"-- Voltaire

His actions re this WTC and Al Qaida operative speak volumes as to how he will "prosecute" the truth in this case. Libby will walk, BushCo will not be scratched. Please read post #16

Either Fitz does his job or not. Period. The truth will out, one way or the other. That's why I demand a further 9-11 Investigation a la the JerseyGirls. Fitz may not be 'where it's at'.

[Missy Vixen]

32. Of course, everything we read is nothing but true

It seems that Mr. Lance had a sourcing problem with his National Geographic Channel documentary on the subject, did he not? I'm a little less than convinced he's got the "goods".

>apparently he's 'in the bag' so to speak of the BushCo BFEE.<

Sure he is. That's why James Comey recommended him as the Special Counsel, even though Comey was essentially forced out for fighting back against the Bush administration during his time as the acting Attorney General. He deliberately chose someone he knew had the backbone and other body parts to stand up to them.

Question: What is it you believe the BFEE offered Patrick Fitzgerald for his cooperation? I'd like to know.

Julie

[EVDebs]

54. Maybe a real 9-11 Investigation will reveal things about Fitz

we would rather not see. Maybe the real wishful thinkers are those here who expect a miracle -- that an insider would 'tell on himself' and lead to a further examination of the realities of 9-11, rather than stay the ourse and keep the fantasies of 9-11.

The Jersey Girls need to look into Fits.

[petgoat]

61. Lance says that "sourcing problem" is a lie.

"Let me set the record straight on the allegations made by John Ford," he says. "First, in the Miami Herald piece, Ford lied to Glenn Garvin when he said that 'Peter wanted us to include accusations and conclusions ... that we could not independently verify, and we weren't willing to do that.'"

According to this http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/40693/

[KoKo]

36. Peter Lance's Bio has some interesting info:

(He got his start with infamous "Willowbrook Investigation" which also gave Geraldo Rivera his career as a very young reporter at ABC. Frank has a long career...(One wonders if along the way he's not become a useful tool for one group or another) just saying...:eyes:
(snip)

In 1989 Lance became the co-executive producer and "show
runner" on the fourth season of WISEGUY for CBS and in 1993
he co-created MISSING PERSONS, for ABC. In later years he
served as a writer and producer on such series as JAG (NBC)
and THE SENTINEL (UPN).

In 1997 Lance's first novel FIRST DEGREE BURN became a
national best seller, ranking No. 24 on The Ingram A-List;
The Top 50 Requested Titles in Mystery- Detective Fiction.
The film-noir mystery features FDNY Fire Marshal Eddie Burke.

Later Lance adapted VEIL: THE SECRET WARS OF THE CIA,
Bob Woodward's best-seller on William Casey and Iran-Contra
for HBO. For Showtime he wrote TERROR.NET, the story of
Bradley Smith, the courageous Diplomatic Security agent
responsible for helping to apprehend the world's most
notorious terrorists.

In the year 2000 Lance returned to investigative reporting
with his best-selling non-fiction investigative biography:
THE STINGRAY: Lethal Tactics of The Sole Survivor.

Then, following the 9/11 attacks he began investigating the
origins of the FBI's original probe of World Trade Center
bomber Ramzi Yousef. After visiting Yousef's former bomb
factory in the Philippines, Lance came away with 100's of
pages of formerly classified documents proving that Yousef
had set the 9/11 plot into motion as early as 1994.

Lance then examined the FBI's original efforts to stop
Yousef in 1992 as he built the first WTC device. The result
was his acclaimed best seller from Harper Collins:
1000 YEARS FOR REVENGE: International Terrorism And The FBI
(The Untold Story).

[KoKo]

37. BTW: Would Frank's adapting a Woodward book on CIA mean he

worked with Woodward and knows him personally? Is there a connection there since Woodward is involved with PlameGate himself by witholding from Fitz the info the got from Armitage? :shrug:

[EVDebs]

56. Let's put them all under oath--a real 9-11 Investigation , and find out

[fooj]

11. Uh huh.

[rooboy]

13. Popular theory is that Fitz has still got Cheney in his sights. n/t

[DemReadingDU]

23. Possibly, and maybe Fitz isn't after Armitage - because

Armitage is feeding Fitz important info!

[usregimechange]

25. And had nothing to do with the leaks Libby made before the Novak

article. How does Armitage change anything?

[glitch]

14. Somebody's nervous. Good. nt

[Pachamama]

16. Why didn't Fitz pursue Armitage? Because he knows more info than the rest

of us out, and because he knew that Armitage's involvement was not where the crime occurred.

It's amazing aint' it folks? The WP and NYT's report and act as if Fitzgerald "blew it" and acting as if Fitz's investigation is a failure because he didn't pursue Armitage, forget and ignore that this man is known to be one of the most thorough prosecutors who crosses all the t's and dots the i's and his career record proves it.

My money is on the fact that there are still things that are going to be coming and that Fitz and the Grand Jury have not released and that the Cheney and Bushco folks are getting nervous and want to discredit and put as much FUD out there as possible.

I personally don't think it will work. And there is also a reason that the Plame/Wilson lawsuit isn't pursuing Armitage either.....He's not relevant folks....

[originalpckelly]

18. The grand jury is still empaneled.

We shouldn't get our jump to conclusions map so soon.

[lonestarnot]

19. Nothing wrong with that (Fitz keeping it open)... What's the big

deal.

[WHAT]

20. "leaking" has become a good-hearted joke...

recently...

on TV...

I don't know what to make of all this but I'm not taking my clues from TV or NYT...or

on edit...piss on 'em

[Oilwellian]

21. The point the media is missing in this latest bunch of horseshit

We know Libby was talking to reporters as early as June of 2003. Armitage stated he talked to Novak on July 8, 2003. The point is, OTHER reporters knew about Plame long before Novak but for whatever reason did NOT publish the story. Only the douche bag of liberty had the hubris to publish and that was long after other reporters were clued in. Let's also not forget the newspaper copy of Wilson's editorial w/Dick's handwriting all over it.

We're coming for you Dick you slimey piece of shit.

[sunnystarr]

22. Can the MSM explain away June 2003?

Mr. Fitzgerald may also point out that Mr. Armitage knew about Ms. Wilson’s C.I.A. role only because of a memorandum that Mr. Libby had commissioned as part of an effort to rebut criticism of the White House by her husband, Joseph C. Wilson IV.
....

Mr. Armitage spoke with Mr. Novak on July 8, 2003, those familiar with Mr. Armitage’s actions said. Mr. Armitage did not know Mr. Novak, but agreed to meet with the columnist as a favor for a mutual friend, Kenneth M. Duberstein, a White House chief of staff during Ronald Reagan’s administration. At the conclusion of a general foreign policy discussion, Mr. Armitage said in reply to a question that Ms. Wilson might have had a role in arranging her husband’s trip to Niger.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/02/washington/02leak.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1157169600&en=012af30d606f9608&ei=5094&partner=homepage&oref=slogin

June 2003
early June

* According to anonymous sources, Vice President Dick Cheney meets with President Bush and tells him that CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson is the wife of Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson and that she was responsible for sending him on a fact-finding mission to Niger. Andrew Card, Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley, and Karl Rove are at the meeting.(truthout)

June 1-7

* During the first week of June, Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus makes an inquiry about Joseph Wilson's trip, with the CIA public affairs office. That office contacts the Conterproliferation Division (CPD) at the CIA, (Valerie Plame's unit), but no report is produced. (Time)

June 6

* Scooter Libby meets with Richard Armitage for 15 minutes to talk about Pakistan.

June 7 or after

* According to anonymous sources, Vice President Dick Cheney meets with President Bush a second time and tells the president that there was talk of "Wilson going public" and exposing the flawed Niger intelligence. Cheney advises Bush that a section of the classified National Intelligence Estimate that purports to show Iraq did seek uranium from Niger should be leaked to reporters as a way to counter anything Wilson might seek to publish. Throughout the second half of June, Andrew Card, Karl Rove, and senior officials from Cheney's office keep Bush updated about the progress of the campaign to discredit Wilson via numerous emails and internal White House memos. (truthout)

June 8

* National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice appears on Meet the Press and attempts to refute Kristof's claims in his early May article.

June 9

* The CIA faxes documents to the attention of Scooter Libby and one other person in the Office of the Vice President. The faxed documents do not give Wilson's name: Libby and others add "Wilson" and "Joe Wilson" by hand. (Libby Indictment, p. 4)

June 10

* A classified State Department memorandum, "Niger/Iraq Uranium Story", generally called "the INR memo", is sent by Carl Ford to Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman. The memo contains information about CIA officer Valerie Plame. She is named in a paragraph marked "(SNF)" for secret, non-foreign (i.e., not to be shared with foreign agencies, even allies). Plame — who is referred to by her married name, Valerie Wilson, in the memo — is mentioned in the second paragraph of the three-page document, which was written by an analyst in the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR). (memo, NYT,Time, WaPo)

June 11

* Scooter Libby asks a senior officer of the CIA about the origin and circumstances of Wilson's trip. He is advised by the CIA officer that Wilson's wife works at the CIA and is believed to be responsible for sending Wilson on the trip (Libby Indictment, p. 4). The senior officer is likely Robert Grenier (Libby motion, p. 7, Libby memo, p. 11, Booman Tribune).

Before June 12

* Walter Pincus makes an inquiry about the trip with the Office of the Vice President. Scooter Libby participates in Office discussions on how to respond (Libby Indictment, p. 4).

June 11 or 12

* Undersecretary of State Marc Grossman tells Scooter Libby that "Joe Wilson's wife works for the CIA", and that State Department personnel are saying that Wilson's wife was involved in the planning of the trip (Libby Indictment, p. 4; Fitzgerald affadavit, p. 11). This is reported to be as a briefing at a wider White House meeting (truthout).

June 12

* Walter Pincus of the Washington Post writes "CIA Did Not Share Doubt on Iraq Data", about Joseph Wilson's trip without naming the retired Ambassador. Pincus also reports that according to an administration official neither Dick Cheney or his staff learned of its role in spurring the mission until it was disclosed by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof on May 6.

* Jonthan Landay of Knight Ridder quotes an anonymous senior CIA officer "an agency source who had traveled to Niger couldn't confirm European intelligence reports that Iraq was attempting to buy uranium." (Knight Ridder)

* After the June 12 article by Pincus, "there was general discussion with the National Security Council and the White House and State Department and others" regarding Wilson and his trip, says a former intelligence officer. (Time)

Also, Richard Armitage asks intelligence officers in the State Department for more information. He is forwarded a copy of the June 10 INR memo. (LATimes)

* Vice President Dick Cheney tells Libby that Wilson's wife works for the CIA's counter-proliferation division. Libby understands the information to have come from the CIA (Libby Indictment, p. 5). This is during a conversation about the Pincus inquiry (Fitzgerald response, p. 4).

Plame outed to reporters

June 13

* Richard Armitage meets with Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. Armitage tells Woodward that Wilson's wife works for the CIA on weapons of mass destruction as a WMD analyst (NYT, WaPo).

* Kristof responds and sticks by his claim. Joseph Wilson is again not named in the article.

* Wilson calls some present and former senior administration officials who know national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. He wanted them to tell Rice that she was wrong in her June 8 NBC's "Meet the Press" comments. (WaPo)

June 14

* Scooter Libby meets with a CIA briefer and they discuss the Niger trip (Libby Indictment, p. 5). The briefer's handwritten notes indicate that Libby referred to "Joe Wilson" and "Valerie Wilson" (Fitzgerald affadavit, p. 12; Tatel opinion, p. 31). The briefer is likely Craig Schmall (Libby motion, p. 8, Libby memo, p. 11).

June 17

* CIA Director George Tenet receives a memo from analysts that there is no credible information that Iraq pursued uranium from abroad. (Murray Waas)

June 18 or shortly after

* CIA Director George Tenet shares with Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby the findings of the June 17 memo. (Murray Waas)

June 19

* The New Republic publishes an article anonymously quoting Wilson, that administration officials "knew the Niger story was a flat-out lie."

* Shortly after publication of the article, Scooter Libby and his principal deputy Eric Edelman discuss it. Edelman asks if details of the trip can be shared with the press. Libby cites "complications at the CIA" with public disclosure. (Libby Indictment, p. 6)

June 20

* Bob Woodward of the Washington Post interviews an administration official for his book. Woodward's list of prepared questions include "Joe Wilson's wife." (WaPo)

June 23

* Judith Miller meets with Scooter Libby. Libby tells her that Wilson’s wife might work at a bureau of the CIA. (Libby Indictment, p. 6)

* Bob Woodward interviews Libby by phone for his book. (WaPo)

June 27

* Bob Woodward interviews Libby at Libby's office for his book. Woodward's typed notes from the interview make no reference to Wilson or his wife. (WaPo)

http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Plame_Leak_timeline#June_2003

C-Span's Washington Journal covered the WP's editorial this morning followed by a Canadian guy who stood in for Limpballs who continued with the diatribe to marginalize Fitzgerald and the investigation. The MSM's discovery of Armitage (they are so lame since we all figured this out a long time ago) created such a major flash in their feeble brains that it nuked the few brain cells that held the memory of June 2003. Or it was too much trouble to google and check the time line.

While Armitage was Novak's source in July 2003 his roots aren't connected to the Aspens - indeed he just picked up a seed from the tree and planted it in Novak. Novak had to suck off the Rove root before he could move ahead.

Aspen clones (clusters) develop through a process of asexual reproduction called "root suckering." Unlike many other trees, new aspens rarely come from seeds; they almost always grow as extensions from an existing root system.* Suckers can pop out of the ground in great numbers—tens of thousands per acre—and can appear dozens of feet away from the nearest stem. Each new sucker gets the benefit of a pre-existing root system that delivers nutrients from the soil. As each one matures, it sends out its own roots, which in turn produce more suckers.

http://www.slate.com/id/2128205/

Sigh ... These "suckers" are sure sucking the life out of democracy as we knew it.

[DeepModem Mom]

29. Thank you for this excellent post, sunnystarr. nt

[many a good man]

31. Thanks again, Sunny.

I'd like to see someone make a stab at a one paragraph refutation of the latest Neocon spin.

Narrowly focusing on Novak's outing of Valerie Plame Wilson, it seems sensible to look no further than WHO leaked to Novak resulting in his column. All we have is Armitage first, confirmed later by another WH official on July 8th. What's worse: the unwitting leak or the confirmation?

Fitz has shown that Woodward and Miller were told a fortnight earlier, but they never wrote about it. Novak and Armitage came clean early so they were not charged (is this fair?). Their revelations opened the door to the OVP's conspiracy. Fitz asked for and received permission to expand the scope of his inquiry to include the conspiracy and cover up. Libby (and Miller) obstructed so he was charged. Rove "forgot," then remembered, and still remains unindicted. Hence the speculation he is cooperating (or stringing Fitz along).

I think it may be a big mistake to focus this whole affair around the word "leak."

[Justice Is Comin]

24. Have they heard about Star, 56 million dollars and

who did he indict? Republican glow worms.

[H2O Man]

27. This is the anticipated

response. Contests of the sort that we are witnessing -- or participating in, if we have contributed to the Wilson fund, authored LTTE, etc -- always follows this general pattern. When the OVP/WHIG/OSP anticipated the filing of the civil suit, they brought the dehydrated rat Robert Novak out to tell his story. And now, after the revealing of the "truth" about Armitage, which was the trump card the OVP planned to play at a later date, they are attempting the coordinated response in the WP and NYT. No biggie. I hope they start taking their best shots. It will expose them to the ass-kicking they are about to catch.

[DeepModem Mom]

30. Thanks for your view, H2O Man! nt

[Nickster]

33. Question for you H2O Man....

According to the timeline, isn't it possible that Woodward had Plame's name from the "mystery leaker" and then went to Armitage to get confirmation. Armitage slipped and gave confirmation to Plame being CIA because he assumed that Woodward had already known that. So instead of intentionally, he gave it up "accidentally". But Libby and crew set it up, they gave Woodward the name and info, then Woodward went to Armitage and asked Armitage rather than Armitage giving it up. Make sense?

[EVDebs]

57. Also begs the question "Who gave Armitage the Plame info ?"

...and why ?

[DeepModem Mom]

34. FYI: This is page-one in the print edition today. nt

[im10ashus]

35. It's all p.r. and spin until the trial now.

Trying it in the press instead of the courtroom won't work in this case. The people are tired and weary and starting to see the countless ways we have been lied to, emotionally manipulated and financially burdened with the costs of this illegal war. Fitz will take them down.

[janx]

38. Armitage cooperated with Fitz from the start.

And then when Fitz told asked him to keep quiet, he was more than happy to oblige.

Why? ;-)

[DemReadingDU]

47. I think so too, that Armitage has been coorperating w/ Fitz

that's why Fitz does not need to go after Armitage. Armitage has been supplying the Fitz with the info about Cheney and Rove!

[janx]

39. kick

[Bethany Rockafella]

41. What's all of these articles on Fitzgerald all of a sudden?

Is he about to indict again? Or is this Bush's way of threatening him?

[janx]

42. The right wing wants this whole thing to just go away.

Armitage is a way for them to declare that it's "over," and now not only are they declaring that it's "over," but they're blaming Fitzgerald for "wasting" their "tax dollars"--which really means for pursuing the case against Libby.

[Bethany Rockafella]

43. Wasting their tax dollars?

Oh puhlease! Did they worry about their WASTED tax dollars when their party was after Clinton all those years?

[janx]

44. It IS hypocritical, of course.

It's also very funny.

[NewJeffCT]

55. They're trying to discredit him as much as possible

So, if Bush pardons Libby on the basis of Fitz being "out of control" or similar, they'll be in front with their spin.

[leesa]

45. Excellent. I WANT them to go after Fitz. Then we will get some action

on the who, how and why of what he's been up to. If he is honest and ethical, which I hope he is, then we should be getting some more subpoenas out of this. SOMEONE outed an undercover agent and an undercover operation. Fitzgerald cannot possibly be done with the case.

[janx]

46. Wait until Libby's trial.

A lot more will be apparent when that happens.

[PresidentWar]

48. Go after those who enforce law, sure

that's their next logical step when they can no longer convince the American people that pure arrogance driven malfeasance wasn't just and right to begin with.

[bleever]

49. Note that many are now describing Armitage as "the leaker",

as though there were only one, bearing responsibility for the whole saga.

I think it's a little late for this kind of rewriting of the story to really take hold.

:)

[janx]

50. Doing that lulls people into a false sense that the

investigation is over.

"The leaker" has been found--case closed. :rofl:

[StrictlyRockers]

51. The Rethugs think we all owe Cheney and Rove a big apology now.

:WTF: