ROVE COULD BE FORCED TO TESTIFY-RECIEVES SUBPOENA IN LIBBY LEAK TRIAL (Newsweek)

[kpete]

Newsweek: Rove could testify in Libby case as subpoenas handed out

A Web exclusive
By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek

Jan. 26, 2007 - White House anxiety is mounting over the prospect that top officials—including deputy chief of staff Karl Rove and counselor Dan Bartlett-may be forced to provide potentially awkward testimony in the perjury and obstruction trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby.


Both Rove and Bartlett have already received trial subpoenas from Libby’s defense lawyers, according to lawyers close to the case who asked not to be identified talking about sensitive matters. While that is no guarantee they will be called, the odds increased this week after Libby’s lawyer, Ted Wells, laid out a defense resting on the idea that his client, Vice President Dick Cheney’s former chief of staff, had been made a “scapegoat” to protect Rove. Cheney is expected to provide the most crucial testimony to back up Wells’s assertion, one of the lawyers close to the case said. The vice president personally penned an October 2003 note in which he wrote, “Not going to protect one staffer and sacrifice the other.” The note, read aloud in court by Wells, implied that Libby was the one being sacrificed in an effort to clear Rove of any role in leaking the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame, wife of Iraq war critic Joe Wilson. “Wow, for all the talk about this being a White House that prides itself on loyalty and discipline, you’re not seeing much of it,” the lawyer said.

....................

The possibility that Rove could be called to testify would bring his own role into sharper focus—and could prove important to Libby’s lawyers for several reasons. Rove has said in secret testimony that, during a chat on July 11, 2003, Libby told him he learned about Plame’s employment at the CIA from NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, a legal source who asked not to be identified talking about grand jury matters told NEWSWEEK. If Rove repeats that story on the witness stand, it could back up Libby’s core assertion that he honestly, if mistakenly, thought he had heard about Wilson’s wife from the “Meet the Press” host—even though Russert denies he knew anything about Plame, and more than a half-dozen officials (including Cheney) have said they passed along the same information to Libby earlier than that.

................

more at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16832257/site/newsweek/page/2/

[Quixote1818]

1. Rove will have to plead the 5th. nt

[karlrschneider]

9. And drink two of 'em.

:rofl:

[eleny]

2. Drippity, drip drip!

[LSparkle]

3. MERRY FITZMAS AGAIN! YAHOO!

:woohoo: :applause:

:rofl:

Happy Friday night, everybody!!!

[Alamom]

15. Hello from Fitz ......

Happy, happy Friday to you, too.

[Quakerfriend]

4. Thank you, kpete for always being on top it!

This is glorious!

[kpete]

12. GLORIOUS INDEED!!!

[Patsy Stone]

5. Keith will be talking to Isikoff next segment on Countdown

Turn to MSNBC please.

[eleny]

6. Did he just say that the AP is now reporting it tonight?

[Patsy Stone]

7. It hit Newsweek's site about 15 minutes ago

I don't know if Isikoff was already scheduled, but I doubt it because he's on the phone. Go, KO!

[LSparkle]

8. What a GREAT birthday present for Keith!

He gets to break the good news ....

[babsbunny]

30. When is his birthday?

You mean Keith Olbermann?

[bleever]

32. Yep, KO's birthday is tomorrow.

:)

[eleny]

10. Thanks!!!

[Pithy Cherub]

11. The misdirection begins

Libby needs somebody to join him on the hot seat! Rove may have to raise his right hand and that is just dangerous. Let the games begin - and the defense may decide not to call him...but the damage is already done! Bartlett is a significant subpoena as well. The defense would narrowly tailor their questions so as not to allow Fitz a walk in the park with those two on the stand, IF they get called but still must be tenselicious over at 1600!


:popcorn:

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Wasn't Bartlett

on the Trip to Africa?

[Pithy Cherub]

23. yep and responsible

for white House communication. Speculating for myself, emptywheel blogged about something called 1x2x6 and what it meant was 1 senior administration official knew that two senior administration officials were pushing the story to six reporters. the "2" portion is very interesting as hmmmm, who leaks alot from the white house on background Rove & Bartlett are excellent choices - but this means they are on deck but may not get a chance to be called. Fitz said he didn't need them - but the defense needs somebody and man is that going to be a tough call: To call or not to call, that is the question! :evilgrin:

[xultar]

13. Truthout...was right!

[Tin Man]

16. In what respect?

[xultar]

36. The whole Leopold thing right?

[peacetalksforall]

14. I enjoy the thought that a Cheney-Bush tug-of-war rift has been going

on for years. It must be HARD for everyone to keep it all straight - by that I mean - let George think that he is President, but but but it's really Cheney who's calling the shots, but but but they have to play the pretend game and George gets carried away in his role because he thinks he has perks coming to him for his HARD work and the others have to work HARD to smile and nod, but but but when it gets to jail time - all hell breaks loose. That must really be HARD work.

[Spazito]

17. Yep, it's starting to look like the White House version of...

the Hatfield/McCoy feud!

:rofl:

[bleever]

26. Or "The Weakest Link".

Devil take the hindmost.

Then the next hindmost, then the next...

:)

[Patsy Stone]

35. This has always been my feeling

It's an old and deep rift. IMO, it started when Darth searched far and wide, and discovered he was the best possible candidate for VP. Daddy's friends versus Karl and Georgie (Best Friends Forever!) for control of the power, the message, and the image. Fascinating.

[janx]

18. Libby's lawyers sure love to leak!

Grrr...now they're after Rove. :rofl:

[Pithy Cherub]

24. On FRIDAY night no less

confirming the MO. :rofl:

[unblock]

20. what impact does this have vs. fitz calling him?

there's been widespread speculation that rove hammered out a deal with fitz given how many times he went before the grand jury.

does this mean fitz might be able to treat him as a "hostile witness", or at least give him more latitude, even though he has a deal with him??

[janx]

31. From what I've read, Fitz doesn't need Rove and isn't after him.

Libby's lawyers want to subpeona him because they want to lay the blame elsewhere. They want to blame Rove (or blame the administration for trying to "cover up" for Rove by using Libby).

Such a den of thieves!

My hope is that when this fails, Libby will finally crack. Maybe Fitz is hoping so too.

[sellitman]

21. Quick........

Buy stock in Orville Reddenbocker.

I think DU will be roasting lots!

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :patriot:

[RC]

33. I already did. Step right up here... Get it while it's HOT.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Please, please tell me Fitz has blocked their exits

and if they perjure themselves now, he'll have them nailed.

Please tell me they're cornered, and the rats will either have to save themselves and get Libby or go to jail.

[AnnInLa]

25. Rove and Bartlett subpoenaed by Libby's side

along with many others....they may not have to testify at all if Libby's attorney doesn't need or want their testimony.

There is a good discussion going on about this at kos, some legal types offering opinions and nuggests that we did not know here on DU:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/1/26/2035/94300

((Not to don the tin-foil hat or anything, but does anyone think that "blame the big, bad rove" is a COORDINATED STRATEGY? Coordinated with rove, cheney, bush....after all, rove is thru in politics, is retiring after bush is finished, so why not let Libby use him as the big bad wolf to the jury? Poor Libby, he was one of the victims of rove, let's acquit this nice, busy Libby. Libby took the hit for the White House, now Rove will take the hit for Libby.....they all get off scot free.))

[blogslut]

28. your hat is shiny

Just the same, it did seem oddly melodramitic when Wells brought up the Rove-scapegoat argument in his opening statement.

[sellitman]

34. And chucklenuts can pull a Ford and pardon them all

on his way out.

Perfect!

[teryang]

27. They can plead the Fifth

That's what I would advise. Don't they have to disclose witnesses in advance? Has the press been sleeping? You could just pull the court file and find out.

[Garbo 2004]

37. There was a defense list of people who might be called as witnesses or mentioned in the trial.

That was known and Rove was on it.

Even if subpoenaed, doesn't mean Rove will be actually called to testify. Ostensibly he's on witness standby to repeat Libby's July 11 claim that he learned of Plame's identity from Russert, to aid Libby's memory defense. (Although Ari will testify for the prosecution that Libby told him about Plame on the 7th. And Libby told Judy Miller on the 8th.) But Rove also would be subject to cross examination by Fitz and Fitz could walk through any doors opened by the defense on direct examination.

I don't see how Libby could really go after Rove without further incriminating himself and his role. Right now the subpoena looks like defense "strategery" but I suppose we'll see in a few weeks.

[WiseButAngrySara]

29. Heard this earlier on K.O. Logged on to DU to read

about it! DU never fails!

Thanks and k(pete)nr.

[Kurovski]

38. Kick(nt)

[omega minimo]

39. .