At Libby Trial, Power Players Face Uncomfortable Spotlight

[Kadie]

At Libby Trial, Power Players Face Uncomfortable Spotlight

By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 15, 2007; Page A01

When Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff goes on trial Tuesday on charges of lying about the disclosure of a CIA officer's identity, members of Washington's government and media elite will be answering some embarrassing questions as well.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's case will put on display the secret strategizing of an administration that cherry-picked information to justify war in Iraq and reporters who traded freely in gossip and protected their own interests as they worked on one of the big Washington stories of 2003.

The estimated six-week trial will pit current and former Bush administration officials against one another and, if Cheney is called as expected, will mark the first time that a sitting vice president has testified in a criminal case. It also will force the media into painful territory, with as many as 10 journalists called to testify for or against an official who was, for some of them, a confidential source.

Besides Cheney, the trial is likely to feature government and media luminaries including NBC's Tim Russert, former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, columnist Robert D. Novak and Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward.

more...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/14/AR2007011401139.html

[seemslikeadream]

1. I can't wait to hear what Cathie Martin has to say

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Since you don't care

why do you even bother to respond?

There are plenty of us around who do care.

\

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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[Missy Vixen]

5. What do you suggest instead?

>It won't amount to a footnote.<

Really?

If you've read anything at all about this case (I recommend www.firedoglake.com, start reading under the "CIA Leak Case" header. There's over 200 articles there,) you'd know that charging Libby with leaking or espionage would have had any case at all immediately greymailed out of court due to national security issues. The espionage statutes, for instance, are so broadly written as to be unenforceable, and this opinion has been stated by those holding JD's -- and far more formal education than I have. The special counsel in the case charged what he could reasonably expect to come away with a conviction on.

It's not Patrick Fitzgerald's job to get to the bottom of the 16 words, the yellowcake, the forged documents. It's Congress' job. CALL THEM. Better yet, write them. Ask why they have done nothing in two years, even after being notified via letter from Mr. Fitzgerald that they needed to investigate the runup to the Iraq war.

Julie

[hang a left]

6. Julie,

I never heard that Fitz wrote a letter to Congress asking them to investigate?

What I read was the Fitz didn't want them to pry into his case because of the problems with the witnesses. Like some witnesses receiving immunity and so on. Anyway, was wondering if you have a link or something.

[Missy Vixen]

8. Okay. This is what happened.

Representative Hinchley from New York wrote the original letter to Patrick Fitzgerald asking him to investigate. Evidently, he responded, and if I am not mistaken, the response from him to the members of Congress who signed the letter has never been made public. I know that there is another letter re: it's their investigation to open; I remember reading it. I'm not sure where it's located, and I'll have to try searching for it again tomorrow. (It's probably somewhere in the 200-odd leak case articles on firedoglake. I just don't have time to search them tonight.)

Here is commentary on the subject, including a link to the text of the letter if you'd like to look at it.

http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/2005/09/congress-to-patrick-j-fitzgerald-let.html

There's also some very interesting reading at the following about the Libby case.

Special Counsel's website:
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/index.html

I hope this helps at all.
Julie

[hang a left]

10. Thanks Julie.

What do you want to bet the Iranian adventure starts during this trial.

Also, what is your take on Cheney taking the fifth?

[Missy Vixen]

13. I think you're right

>What do you want to bet the Iranian adventure starts during this trial.<

If anything even slightly explosive comes out of this trial (and according to those I've been reading on firedoglake, they're saying they think Ari Fleischer's, of all people, is the Testimony To Watch,) I think we'll very quickly find ourselves with neato new graphics and scary music on CNN yet again. They'll have to come up with something different this time to signal the beginnings of aggressions, though. "Shock and Awe" is so 2002.

>Also, what is your take on Cheney taking the fifth?<

He really can't, unless he's willing to follow up his testimony with an "I resign" on the courthouse steps. What do you think about it?

Julie

[hang a left]

18. I wonder if he can take it for certain questions he doesn't want to

answer. Like all the prosecution questions.

[Missy Vixen]

19. If he takes it once, he must take it throughout the testimony

or he waives his right to assert the Fifth.

It would be the same result -- he would have to resign immediately or face being removed. IMHO, YMMV.

I realize it may end up being a non-event, but I pray Crashcart snarls or loses his temper while being questioned by a man I'm sure he thinks of as "less than" -- Patrick Fitzgerald. After all, Mr. Fitzgerald wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and he hates corruption and criminal behavior in all forms. I think the resulting questioning would be one for the annals of jurisprudence.

Julie

[hang a left]

20. I have to agree.

However, I just can't internalize and accept that his event will take place.

[seemslikeadream]

14. Dick Cheney - American Judas

Dick Cheney exposed Valerie Plame to cover up his association with A.Q. Khan's Nuclear Walmart. Read about it here: http://s93118771.onlinehome.us/DU/AMERICANJUDAS.pdf or

[Name removed]

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[Missy Vixen]

9. heldmyw, we'd love to hear what your friend the federal prosecutor has to say about all this

>Fitz will have put his kids through Ivy League schools, go on the lecture circuit and pay cash for the new house in wherever, and we, the people, will have diddly over squat to show for it.<

Wow! What a coincidence! That's what the American people got from Kenneth Starr, isn't it? Eight years of investigation. Seventy million dollars of the taxpayer's funds. We got a stained blue dress and a special prosecutor's report that reads like government-sanctioned porn.

Is your friend the federal prosecutor doing the job to enrich him or herself? If this is the case, they're in the wrong job.

By the way, you might want to do a bit of reading on the man before passing judgement on him. He works such long hours it's doubtful he has a personal life. He put himself through Harvard. Just getting in must have been quite a feat, because his family is neither wealthy nor influential. The lecture circuit? Please. If he were in it for the money, he could walk out of the US Attorney's office tomorrow morning and command a salary at a New York City law firm that would leave most of us set for life. Per year.

Julie

[Name removed]

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[KoKo]

12. Fitz isn't married ...no kids and he's cost taxpayers a minimum ...unlike

Ken Starr and his Independent Counsel witchunt that cost millions and ended up with nothing except lots of attention for Starr and scandal fodder for the Media and the Congress Wingnuts who wanted to impeach.

Fitzgerald is very through and methodical. He couldn't have gotten Libby if he wasn't. He's also got quite a few reporters who had the highest profile lawyers ..like William Bennett of Clinton fame to be called as witnesses. Given Corporate Control of our Media and the Lock Down of the White House...it's amazing he has been so successful.

[Catherine Vincent]

15. Julie!

What's with all the deleted messages in a Patrick Fitzgerald thread? Did you snatch a dirty, stinking, rotten troll? :hi:

[Missy Vixen]

16. Nawww. I think they had an urgent appointment elsewhere.

:woohoo: :rofl:

How are you, young lady? One more day, huh? It wouldn't be a PJF thread without photos, would it? :hi:



Julie

[Catherine Vincent]

17. I am donig fine!

Of course, it wouldn't be a PJF thread without our favorite prosecutie pic! Looking forward to tomorrow and I know it will start slow...but we'll have to be patient. I am continuing to have problems posting in the group but at least I am able to read the messages.