"Scooter's Black Op." (Plame Thread #8)

[H2O Man]

(Note: A few DUers have requested that I post a few shorter OPs, that give a brief outline of what might be worth looking for in the day’s court hearings. Let’s see how this works….)

Ari Fleischer is expected to take the witness stand today in the Libby trial. This will be an interesting shift in the pace, as Mr. Fitzgerald began with information from the CIA; then with Ms. Martin of the OVP; and now the White House press secretary.

Let’s do a brief review: in his opening statement, Teddy Wells said that Scooter was too busy with issues of national security to be paying attention to Joseph Wilson or Valerie Plame. But the witnesses thus far have testified that Libby and Cheney were indeed very focused on the Wilsons. Also, the pair was concentrating a significant amount of attention on MSNBC’s Hardball.

On Hardball, host Chris Matthews was questioning why the vice president had taken a question about WMD – in fact, about the components for nuclear weapons – to the CIA at a time when the administration was building its case for invading Iraq …. and then ignored the information from Wilson that fully discredited the "yellow cake rumors" that Cheney had asked about?

It wasn’t as if people in the OVP forgot about things nuclear – in fact, they had the WHIG churn out dire warnings of a smoking gun coming in the form of a mushroom cloud. And there was an on-going struggle to get the Niger lie into a presidential speech, first in October 2002 in Cincinnati, and then in the 2003 state of the union.

When the IAEA exposed the Niger "documents" as forgeries, and a person from the State Department said, "We fell for it," the OVP did not admit they had made an error. Cheney continued to take the "we have more information than they do" approach.

The conflict over the yellow cake forgeries and the misrepresentation of the Iraqi nuclear "threat" continued. The OVP refused to take ownership of the "error." Scooter and Cheney started trying to "spin’ the story. They wanted to focus on the Wilsons. As noted in last week’s essay on Ari Fleischer, they were telling people to look at Ari’s press briefing for the "real story." They were furious that Fleischer told reporters the "16 words" shouldn’t have been in the president’s speech. Cheney began outlining an approach that included having Tenet take the blame for the Niger lie, and having Condi deny that anyone outside "the bowels of the Agency" knew about Wilson’s findings.

Thus, when Ari testifies, we can expect to see evidence of the growing split between the OVP/OSP and the parts of the WHIG connected to the Office of the President. It may not be apparent to everyone, until the defense attorneys start getting into their cross examination. But it will be there. And, as a result of this inner conflict, the jury and public is going to get a clearer picture of what a senior administration official called "Scooter’s black op." (Hubris; Corn & Isikoff; page 260)

[trumad]

1. K@R

[democrank]

2. Good morning, H20 Man.

Looking forward to your rational take on the trial today.

[goclark]

3. K and R

[Annces]

4. Thanks

Ari on the hot seat. Wells is going to be pushing him. And I suppose Walton will have to make a lot of rulings to keep things in line.

[H2O Man]

6. It is interesting:

if Team Libby hammers the immunity business, they make it clear that people in the administration were worried they had commited a crime. That would indicate Scooter had a reason to lie. Ha!

Note: Countdown is going to be very good tonight. Hardball will, too. But Countdown is going to have an added punch.

[democrank]

9. What`s Countdown`s punch tonight?

Bless KO.

[H2O Man]

45. Dick Cheney

will be the subject.

[Me.]

5. Previous Plame

Research Forum & Threads 1,2,3

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x192

#4

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x11772

#5

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x25384

#6

www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x35704


The Relative Deprivation of Dick Cheney

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x47102

Lamb Chops vs Pork Chops (Plame Thread #7)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x63805

[me b zola]

95. Bookmarked. Thank you. n/t

[porphyrian]

7. I'll kick that. - n/t

[myrna minx]

8. Thanks again, H20 man.

K&R. :hi:

[halobeam]

10. Here and reading.. all with a thumbs up for an exciting day!

Must do my daytime chores tonight. Seems this whole week is filled with excitement. Justice hearing tomorrow and Foreign Relations hearing the day after that.
This is just purely riveting!

[Blue_Roses]

11. awesome!

:thumbsup:

[Geoff R. Casavant]

12. Thanks H2O Man: An unrelated question:

Are you the first person to propose a plan to impeach Cheney first, then hold up confirmation of a replacement while impeachment proceedings are taken against the rest of the cabinet? I read that plan and have been spreading it around, someone told me you originated it, and I've been giving you credit. Just wanted to make sure I'm crediting the right person.

[H2O Man]

14. I am not

that person, and am not sure of who is. I know that John Dean has mentioned the possibility of impeaching people below Bush or Cheney. I think that Cheney should be first; however, I am interested in other ideas.

[Me.]

37. Not To Put Too Fine A Point On It

and omitting the spreading it around part, you were the first person on DU that I saw suggesting that impeachment should go forward, but starting with Cheney first, and then going on from there.

[H2O Man]

38. I had a call

from an old friend late last week. And she said that the news coverage reminded her of how I had told her in the late summer of 2003 that this scandal went directly to VP Cheney.

[Me.]

13. Repost From Thread # 7

Which now that #8 is up, may be headed for the archive. Posted under the subject line of:

44. Other Sources Of Good Information

You know, even though he gets kicked here around a lot (having done my share of it) Chris Mathews, and David Shuster have been on this story ever since Rove called Mathews and told him that Wilson's wife was fair game. Mathews then called Joe Wilson and told him what Rove said, which I give him huge credit for. But the Plame team of Mathews and Shuster were on the story from that point on. People don't realize it because hardly anyone was paying attention to the it then. Except for Cheney and Libby. As described in court, the veep's office hated what HB reported on this story, so much so they called Russert to complain about the ongoing coverage. There was one other sources of info about this case way back and that was you sir. The Plame threads you inspired in 2004 were sensational and a forerunner (as well as being prescient) of what is happening today. In time others would begin to pay attention. Notably Jane Hamsher of FDL, who wrote some really terrific columns about the story for her site and HuffPo. Thank goodness for all of you, those who kept the story alive until it finally caught on.

[snappyturtle]

15. K&R Thanks. I've so much I should be doing but THIS

is so-o-o interesting!

"........Condi deny that anyone outside "the bowels of the Agency" knew about Wilson’s findings."

Doesn't this more or less indict Condi too? Can you tell I want the whole bunch to come down?!!!

Edit:spelling

[H2O Man]

16. Condi

is involved in both the Plame and the neocon/AIPAC espionage scandals. I am hoping that her role might become better known during the trial. She played a role in the AF1/African trip, which I expect will be the subject of some discussion later this week.

[snappyturtle]

18. Oh goodie! Thanks H2O man. n/t

[halobeam]

22. Damn! It IS like getting a present every time you can hit the refresh button on FDL !!

[H2O Man]

46. Well, well ....

Around 2:15, Ari was talking about Condi's actions on AF1 .... she wanted to know about declassifying the report that State had faxed Powell.

[Garbo 2004]

106. Remember when Wilson repeatedly tried to get Condi to take back the Niger claims? And in June

(IIRC after her MTP appearance) word got back to Wilson (from Condi?) that she wasn't going to change her story & if he wanted his point of view out there he should go public. I've occasionally wondered if that was a bit of a set up since they were already working on the hit on the Wilsons. If Wilson went public as the previously "unidentified" former Ambassador who went to Niger and told his story in the media, they'd have greater "justification" for attacking his credibility.

[H2O Man]

116. In Wilson's book,

he tells of how Brent Scowcroft took Wilson's 10-13-02 article on how the US should deal with Saddam to the White House, apparently to show to Condi. (pages 295-296)

I am sure that she was "daring" Wilson at a time that the White House didn't think he would confront the administration on its lies.

[H2O Man]

17. Ari Fleischer

is testifying. I hope folks are reading the updates on firdoglake.

Things are good.

[halobeam]

20. Things are very good indeed.

Glad to see Ari say he told Libby she works for CPD.. and her cover name.

[H2O Man]

23. Yep.

I think that this administration is going to despise Fleischer in much the manner that the Nixon crew hated Dean.

[speedoo]

25. Can someone tell me who CPD is/was? I know it's in CIA...

thanks...

[H2O Man]

28. Counterproliferation Division

(CPD) of the Directorate of Operations. It is the most sensitive unit in the Agency. Plame's job included supervising the focus on WMD in Iraq and Iran.

[H2O Man]

29. MSNBC has

information on this right now !!!

[speedoo]

43. Thanks. Fleischer knew she worked there, yet did not think he had...

done anything wrong in leaking about her?

Until he read the WaPO article about a criminal investigation?

Suuuuure. What a slimeball.... he did not worry until he thought he might be CAUGHT.

Expect Team Libby to hammer at this to attack his credibility.

[Garbo 2004]

110. And Scooter, according to Judy Miller, told her Wilson's wife worked at WINPAC

which is where the analysts not the operatives reside (Directorate of Intelligence, not Ops).

Libby knew quite well the sensitivity of CPD, hence the use of WINPAC when he was leaking to Judy (as a "former Hill staffer"). It's arguable that Ari wouldn't necessarily know the significance and sensitivity of CPD. Judy, however, would know.

[seemslikeadream]

24. He's beginning to look uncomfortable

:hi:

[H2O Man]

26. David Shuster is on

MSNBC now .... he says the past 1/2 hour is the most dramatic yet. He says the jurors are making notes of everything Ari is saying. The central part, of course, is that Libby told him that Plame's identity was "hush, hush."

[malaise]

54. Saw that

Gets more interesting by the day. Thanks H2O Man.

[spanone]

19. This will only get better as the layers of the onion are peeled off. What a case to present.

I believe we also get Judith Miller & Tim Russert this week !

[H2O Man]

21. Good week

ahead for the prosecution. Bad week for the defense. It's kind of funny how Libby & Cheney were so obsessed with secrecy, and now so much of this is getting spread out for the public to see.

[spanone]

27. What is fascinating to me, is we may very well see the unveiling of the very crime...

that they are not being tried for i.e. exposing a CIA operative. This could open many a can of worms.

[cascadiance]

99. Here's a song to get you in the mood when that comes up!

http://cdbaby.com/mp3lofi/thompsontwins-04.m3u

[bleever]

30. Isikoff on right now, talking about how Libby told Ari Plame was

in Counter Proliferation Dept.

[H2O Man]

32. Yep.

It provides a good answer to the question posed in post #25.

[bleever]

33. The first time we've heard Libby told Ari her actual job?

And somebody needs to show David Shuster how to turn off his phone!

[DearAbby]

57. H2O...Had you noticed

this is the first time in testimony that the name PLAME and not Wilson is used?

I find this interesting and telling, before now, the testimony had referred to Wilson's wife...WILSON...Not PLAME...her operative name.

[H2O Man]

59. Yes.

That was interesting.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

31. have you noticed that those testifying always drink water when 'challenged'

P Did you take from the comment about the wife that there was some improper comment

Ari making a face, a bit of a frown. Drinks water. Rubs hands together. Okay, he's beginning to look uncomfortable

firedoglake

[H2O Man]

34. Speculation:

This is speculation, and nothing more. But! I doubt Scooter is enjoying his lunch.

[Catherine Vincent]

35. Especially today or every day of the trial? :)

In my case, what a time to suffer with a bad case of dry eyes! Hard to sit here and read everything! :crazy: Thanks H2O Man!

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

36. great line here:

Christie Hardin Smith say, over a FDL:

Nice that the Bush Administration has a specific protocol for spreading classified information:

“There’s a very strict protocol when classified info is spread, my experience, when someone conveyed info that I was authorized to hear, it was always, “this is classified you’re authorized to hear.” When it’s oral, people always say, “this is classified you cannot use it.”"

Lovely. Just lovely.

[Supersedeas]

96. very strict protocol

[robertpaulsen]

39. Question about Ari for those who lived through Watergate.

Since I was an infant at the time and have no memory of watching Watergate on TV, I was wondering about Fleischer's "immunity". Didn't John Dean also have immunity? And yet, I know he also received a conviction regarding Watergate. I was wondering if someone could clarify this for me and perhaps illuminate just how much "immunity" Ari Fleischer has.

[Annces]

40. I don't know about Watergate but Firedoglake has an exchange on this

Fl reading from Immunity order, cannot be prosecuted for underlying issues in this matter.

P Just so its clear, what your understanding, what can you and can you not be prosecuted for?

Fl, I'm not a lawyer, I cannot be prosecuted for what I did with info I was provided but I can be prosecuted for what I say.

P so if you're not truthful, you can be prosecuted for that.

[H2O Man]

41. His immunity

is for crimes that may have resulted from his actions on the African trip. He told three reporters about Valerie Plame working at the Agency, and said she had sent Wilson to Niger.

In response to a question about the journalists' reactions to that, Fleischer said they weren't interested. On FDL, the approximate quote includes, "Like a lot of things I said to the press, it had no impact." That is actually very similar to the tone Dean took during the Watergate hearings. One hopes that in years to come, Fleischer has a similar transformation.

[robertpaulsen]

42. Here's what I found that really has damaging potential.

P what did you understand Libby to mean by hush hush

Fl I thought it was kind of odd. My sense was Libby was saying it was kind of newsie, no one knows.

P did you understand that it was classified

Fl absolutely not. There's a very strict protocol when classified info is spread, my experience, when someone conveyed info that I was authorized to hear, it was always, "this is classified you're authorized to hear." When it's oral, people always say, "this is classified you cannot use it."

This to me shows why Fitz had no problem giving him immunity. It also shows why Libby is up shit creek.

[H2O Man]

44. Right.

It also indicates that Libby & Cheney were hoping to use Ari to spread the word. Last week, I had quoted a line later removed from a WaPost story, about the plan to tell reporters to look to what Ari said in the briefing that day.

[robertpaulsen]

48. Did you hear what Isikoff said about this?

Michael Isikoff comments on Ari Fleischer testimony

RAW STORY
Published: Monday January 29, 2007
Print This Email This


Michael Isikoff has now added his commentary on MSNBC concerning former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer's testimony this morning at the Scooter Libby trial. A transcript of his remarks is below.
#

It is probably the most significant testimony in the case to date. Ari Fleischer testified that he had this lunch with Scooter Libby, passed along the information about Valerie Plame – few days before the conversation with Tim Russert where Libby says he first learned it. Russert, of course, denies that he ever had such a conversation with Libby.

What's significant is the detail that Fleischer provided. He said that Libby told him not just that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA, but that she worked at the counter-proliferations division. That was a particular detail that is significant to people who know about the CIA. The counter-proliferations division is in the Director of Operations. That's the secret arm of the CIA. It's the most sensitive arm of the CIA. Something that Libby and his boss, Vice President Dick Cheney, very well knew. They knew the CIA like the back of their hands.

In addition, Fleischer said, that he believed that Libby provided her name, Valerie Plame. That's a detail we have not heard before. And of course, Fleischer said "hush, hush," "the QT" and Fleischer took it to be newsworthy – something that people would want to know.


http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Michael_Isikoff_comments_on_Ari_Fleischer_0129.html

[H2O Man]

49. Yep.

I was watching him say it, on MSNBC. Things are heating up, RP. We should all pay very close attention to the information about Condi that is coming out this afternoon.

[robertpaulsen]

55. Condi, hmm...

Wonder if there will be any info that comes out today connected with AIPAC too?

Lawyer: Rice Allegedly Leaked Defense Info

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 22, 2006; 12:59 AM

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice leaked national defense information to a pro-Israel lobbyist in the same manner that landed a lower-level Pentagon official a 12-year prison sentence, the lobbyist's lawyer said Friday.

Prosecutors disputed the claim.

The allegations against Rice came as a federal judge granted a defense request to issue subpoenas sought by the defense for Rice and three other government officials in the trial of Steven Rosen and Keith Weissman. The two are former lobbyists with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee who are charged with receiving and disclosing national defense information.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/21/AR2006042101648_pf.html

[TahitiNut]

97. It sounds to me like Fleischer and Armitage were known "loose lips" ...

... and Libby et. al. exploited them by "dishing dirt" but portraying it as merely gossipy (e.g. nepotism in Plame's case) rather than deep cover intel. This kind of "wrong-footing" is a specialty of these bastards.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

101. might I interject a laugh at that???

:rofl: MKJ

[conscious evolution]

100. link to his immunity order

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc

[Pithy Cherub]

47. Many great "White House Oh Crap" moments on display

today. Cathie Martin may have been instrumental in getting Libby & Cheney closer to the stand as she said she was out of the room and could not testify as to Libby's duties. LOL - that had to have the White House not happy. Next Ari says lunch with Libby and he knows i am leaving and still gives him great gossip. My guess is that the OVP panicked when they saw this theme not in the news right away and so tried satuartion coverage, hence the lush breakfast the next morning with Judy.


:popcorn:

[H2O Man]

51. It all ties in

with the part of the sentence removed from the Washington Post 7-12-05 article: "On July 12, the day Cheney and Libby flew together from Norfolk, the vice president instructed his aide to alert reporters of an attack that morning on Wilson's credibility by Fleischer, according to a well-placed source." Instead of a Fleischer attack, Fleischer was saying the "16 words" shouldn't have been in the president's speech. That resulted in Libby's "black op" : if Ari wouldn't do it, Scooter would.

[Pithy Cherub]

52. This testimony from his "peers" is destroying Libby's

defense that he was consumed by national security events. Meanwhile, Libby goes to Mata Judy and I believe she was actually too stupid to understand what he was hinting at with regards to Valerie. She was more intersted in the defense WMD stuff since she felt that was her province and claim to fame. Oh this is wonderful because Bartlett now has to refute Ari and if he does he may get caught in the Fitz perjury trap. Just luscious!

:popcorn:

[DearAbby]

62. Bartlett is legal counsel for the president?

If he was up to his neck in this, stands to reason * was well aware of it...what did * know, and when did he know it? Did he give cover for it?

[Pithy Cherub]

74. Bartlett is the Director of White House Communications.

That usually includes the Press funtion and speech writing.

[spanone]

50. Keeping kicked

:kick:

[Tatiana]

53. Ari also implicates Dan Bartlett.

My, these cretins are mired in $hit. Isn't Bartlett supposed to testify as well?

[bobbolink]

56. Thanks for all the heads up! ONe question, one comment....

When Hardball is broadcast the later time, is that a repeat, or a different show? I'm going to try to record today, but.... don't have enough time for ALL.

I saw your comment about One Thousand news sources. I'm glad it's being picked up, and hope that it builds.

HOWEVER, I've been talking to all my progressive and aware friends, and none of them are seeing much. They have been surprised to hear what all is happening. I'm happy to keep bringing the news to them, and suggesting they watch Hardball and Olberman... HOWEVER.... this signals to me that most citizens haven't a clue what is really happening. :(

While I understand the judge's decision to keep cameras out, and I'm glad for the bloggers (!), I'm really concerned about the lack of impact this will have for the country if there isn't more news reported about this!

I guess I'm just one of these old fossils who remembers being glued to the Watergate Hearings, and the impact that had on this nation!

Your input on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks again so much! :applause:

[H2O Man]

58. I think that

the corporate media is giving a fair amount of coverage to the trial. It's being covered in most newspapers, for example, that have AP stories. Because a newspaper has the article does not mean that everyone who reads the paper will read the article(s) on the trial. Likewise, the networks and cable stations are reporting on the trial; this does not mean everyone is paying attention. But the same thing happened in the Watergate era. Those who want to know about this case have every opportunity to -- and, in fact, have options that were not available in the Watergate era.

Hardball is usually a repeat at 7, though when there is important breaking news, they sometimes update the second show. Their web site offers transcripts, too.

[fooj]

60. Your input is priceless, H20 Man.

Thanks for all that you do!:hi:

[Catherine Vincent]

61. I will try and leave work early to get home in time for Hardball.

That may be a little hard to do since I showed up late today. lol.

[H2O Man]

63. Tell your employer

that Mr. Waterman has requested that you be allowed to leave early, and that you be paid time & 1/2 for participating on the Plame Threads.

[Catherine Vincent]

68. LOL!

I am sure my director isn't paying attention to any of this stuff! :hi:

[Tatiana]

64. For the most part, I am impressed with Ari's testimony.

I can see why he was chosen as Bush's press secretary. It seems pretty clear to me that he will turn on everyone (except, possibly, Bush) so long as he's not prosecuted himself. I don't think Team Libby is doing well at all trying to poke holes in his testimony. It seems clearly established to me that Libby went around town and the WH passing on information regarding Valerie's status in the hopes that SOMEONE... ANYONE would bite and do his dirty work for him.

He didn't just leak to one or two people. This was a repeated and serial leak of information. And Ari also clearly established that Liar Libby did NOT follow established protocol by indicating the classified nature of the information from the beginning.

Pretty credible witness, IMO.

[H2O Man]

65. Yes.

He did well. David Addington should be interesting, too.

[Miss Chybil]

66. K. Already R'd. nt

[H2O Man]

67. Court exhibits ....

http://wid.ap.org/documents/libbytrial/index.html

This site provides both prosecution and defense exhibits. The ones from today should be up later this evening.

[H2O Man]

69. Hardball coming up ....

They are going to have the Libby segment.

[Tatiana]

70. Shuster providing a very good recap on Hardball.

Testimony of first time Liar Libby ever invited Awesome Ari to lunch. Novak column came out one week after the lunch.

Scooter could not have possibly learned something from a reporter when he had already disseminated said information prior.

[H2O Man]

71. David Shuster

is the best reporter on the Plame scandal. He should be on Countdown tonight, too.

[Tatiana]

75. I like the way he "connects the dots."

It's lamentable how today's (corporate) media fails to connect the dots and explain WHY certain information is important/relevant. He basically broke down today's testimony by Awesome Ari and explained why Scooter obviously lied.

Even Tweety was just about ready to cross the line and call Libby a Liar. Of course, he pulled himself back.

[Pithy Cherub]

73. Whoever is doing Tweety's makeup did him NO favors today.

he shakes his head and starts talking so fast the spittle dribbled down his chin - never seen that before. BUT to the substance he said this was a serious problem without prejudging that this was big.

[Me.]

79. OMG, Someone Was Way Too Heavy On The Pencil

someone, staff or family, should have told him, after last night.

[TahitiNut]

98. It's a stage makeup job instead of a TV makeup job.

They even brushed 'hollows' below his cheekbones.

[mmonk]

72. Can't wait for Judy.

That will be interesting.

[PATRICK]

76. Assuming

Libby was trying to leak the story, will they ask Ari if he had or been know to have sources he leaked to
with or without WH permission? That would establish probable intent to spread the story? Is he the only nexus source so far for actually planting news leak opportunities?

[Tatiana]

77. Just want to say that LIBBY IS SO SCREWN!!!!!!!!!!!!

There has been NO, I repeat, NO exculpatory testimony or evidence provided at this point to exonerate him. In fact, Fitzgerald has masterfully used a hammer to nail him time and time again. His actions were methodical, planned, and coordinated. EVERYONE corroborates this. Addington is the latest to show (very reluctantly) that Libby clearly understood the terms of the investigation the FBI initiated and tried to thwart them.

Cheney
Karl
Ari
Armitage
Condi
Tenet/CIA
Harlow(?)
Bartlett
Addington

These are all people this trial implicates. Bet they are *so* thrilled with Liar Libby right now.

[Danascot]

103. Yep, it's pretty much clear now

that Libby is screwed. Now the fun is to see who's next, per your list. Fitz' modus op is to flip the pfcs, sgts and lieuts and work his way up the ranks. This is the best thing going since Watergate.

[Alamom]

78. As always, thank you H2O Man and everyone else for adding

delicious morsels.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

80. I do not see the significance of Addington's testimony.

It seemed that he was just talking about standard operating procedures, and made the claim that the President has the power to declassify as CIC.

Just the inquirey about declassiffication and doc hanling procedure... what am I missing?

[H2O Man]

82. Two things:

First, he documents that Scooter was asking about what paperwork there would be if a CIA employee's spouse was sent on a trip.

Second, he was the vehicle that allowed the prosecution to introduce numerous exhibits that show the DoJ served notice that OVPers were to save and produce all documents related to the case. The number of journalists that Mr. Eckenrode was looking at was very large. (It included Jeff Gannon!)

[Me.]

83. Can That Be True? Gannon!

Good Grief! How does he fit into all of this? I don't remember him "writing" aboout PLame. So who was he talking to or vice versa?

[H2O Man]

86. See posts 84-85 n/t

[Tatiana]

87. Cathie Martin has already illustrated through her testimony that the WH/OVP contacted "friendly"

reporters when they wanted to sell their talking points. I would assume Gannon could be one of these people.

[spanone]

81. Hardball 'Libby' repeat up NOW.

[H2O Man]

84. Jeff Gannon!

Government Exhibit 54: on page 3, the journalists listed as of interest to investigators includes none other than Talon News' Jeff Gannon.

[H2O Man]

85. Also see

Government Exhibit 56: the subpoena to testify before the grand jury includes a list of 25 journalists, including Gannon, as well as Talon News, the only media source listed in Attachment 1.

[Me.]

88. List From The Attachment

Wonder what Campbell Brown, wife of macho neocon Dan Senor, has to do with all of this? And frankly, a lot of journalists who were crying wolf have a lot to answer for.


ROBERT NOVAK CROSSFIRE CAPITAL GANG CHICAGO SUNTIMES KNUT ROYCE TIMOTHY PHELPS
NEWSDAY WALTER PINCUS RICHARD LEIBY MIKE ALLEN DANA PRIEST GLENN KESSLER
WASHINGTON POST MATTHEW COOPER JOHN DICKERSON MASSIMO CALABRESI MICHAEL DUFF
JAMES CAMEY TIME MAGAZINE EVAN THOMAS NEWSWEEK ANDREA MITCHELL MEET THE PRESS
CHRIS MATTHEWSHARDBALL MSNBC TIM RUSSERT CAMPBELL BROWNNBC NICHOLAS KRISTOF
DAVID SANGER JUDITH MILLER NEW YORK TIMES GREG HITT PAUL GIGOT WALL STREET JOURNAL
JOHN SOLOMON ASSOCIATED PRESS USA TODAY JEFF GANNON TALON NEWS

[blm]

89. Oh Happy, Happy......this one's for you, Andy.

.

[Me.]

92. I Hope Gannon Shows Up On The Stand

and gets grilled but good

[Garbo 2004]

111. Yes, he'd claimed he'd seen the INR memo. Then backpeddled IIRC when the investigation became

interested in him.

[Patsy Stone]

90. So, Ari didn't spill her employer to Pincus?

Then was it Bartlett?

J Did you tell Pincus that Wilson's wife worked at CIA.

Fl nossir. I would have remembered it if it happened."

Also, I love the bit about Condi ready to spread the smear, but no one was taking the bait. I have to find the exact quote, but the idea was that she asked the press, "Are you sure you don't want to ask more about that?" LOL!

Fascinating stuff. Luckily, I could avoid actually working at work today.

Thanks, H2O Man. Oh, and I don't mind that you write long posts, but I wish you'd schedule them after I arrive home from work. :)

[antigop]

91. Thanks to all for the analysis and commentary

I appreciate it.

[H2O Man]

93. Once again,

DU appears on hardblogger:

http://hardblogger.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/29/44432.aspx#comments

[mmonk]

94. Thanks for that.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

102. This is complicated stuff!!

And I was a court reporter for 20 years and I have a law degree besides. I've seen thousands of hearings, trials, every possible procedural animal out there.

But in the stuff I did (some Federal, mostly State), we didn't have to worry about CIA secrets, and levels of guvmint clearance, and all that stuff. Just the standard privileges you learn about in law school, like attorney-client, doctor-patient, husband-wife, clergyman-congregant.

Wish it was on TV, but since it doesn't involve blood and guts, it isn't.

[mmonk]

104. Maybe we'll see it in the form of a documentary on TV one day.

[Catherine Vincent]

112. Thanks for that link!

I didn't arrive home in time for Hardball and I was hoping it was captured on video. I also saw the segment from the nightly news with Williams.

[TacticalPeek]

105. Interesting speculation on Ari's possible perjury today from Time's John Dickerson.

And he was a witness!

from: John Dickerson
My Surreal Day at the Libby Trial
Posted Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, at 7:44 PM ET

I wanted to raise my hand and ask, "Your Honor, may I approach the bench?"

I was at the Scooter Libby trial to cover it, and all of a sudden, I found myself in the middle of the case. In his testimony today, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told the courtroom—which included me—that when I was a White House correspondent for Time magazine, he had told me that Joe Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.

He did?

http://www.slate.com/id/2158157/entry/2158492

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2007/1/29/192549/075

http://atrios.blogspot.com/2007_01_28_atrios_archive.html#117012295428088096

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=77842&mesg_id=77842

:popcorn:

[Tatiana]

107. Poor Ari is confused. Either that or he is throwing up a Hail Mary to distract the jury.

L.A.F. better not be lying, or he could be in the same predicament Lying Libby is in. Of course, it's quite possible that Fitzgerald KNEW he was going to testify to something that wasn't true and allowed him to in order to nix the immunity and ask questions Ari doesn't want to answer.

:crazy:

:popcorn:

[Garbo 2004]

113. I seriously doubt Fitz would suborn perjury, which is what that would be if he let

Ari testify falsely.

[Me.]

108. Surely This Would Have Come Up In His GJ Testimony?

I find it hard to believe, given how meticulous he is, that FitzG. wouldn't have cross checked Ari's testimony with Dickerson. I also find it odd that instead of going to talk to the prosecution about this discrepancy, that he chose to write an article about it instead. I wonder what Gregory's recollection is.

[H2O Man]

115. Right.

I think that -- at very best -- the author is one of the many weasals looking to promote themselves and make a dollar off this trial.

[Me.]

117. Just So

Wasn't he the one who incorrectly said something about Ari being afraid of the death penalty?

[Spazito]

109. Very interesting!

Will Mr. Dickerson go from covering the trial to being a participant, interesting question. Will the defense now subpoena him to attempt to "impeach" Fleisher's testimony which was damaging to Libby? Sure seems like a possibility given this article by Mr. Dickerson.


Damn, the twists and turns in this case just keep increasing.


I am joining you in :popcorn:

Edited to add the relevant testimony from the trial today:

FL is Fleisher
P is the prosecution



P Were you in Uganda. Can you tell us if you had an occasion to talk to reporters by the side of the road.

Fl President walking toward second event. Meeting with young children who were going to sing songs. A group of reporters on the side of the road. I recall I said to these reporters, If you want to know who sent Amb Wilson to Niger, it was his wife, she works there. Tamara Lippert Newsweek, David Gregory and John Dickerson, Time Magazine.

P was this a formal interview?

Fl One of the many conversations I had with the press, the event was not one I had to be there. You sidle up to reporters and chat what was on their mind. Maybe this will address some of these issues about how people got sent. This backs up WH statement.

P What part of it backs up WH account?

Fl Allegation WH twisted intelligence. Amb Wilson wrote that a report had been filed. He said Cheney had played a role must be known by VP. I had been told by two WH officials, which I seemed like I should send on. VP wasn't involved in it. That's why I made a judgment to say that to the press.

P Did you statement get much of a reaction?

Fl Press's reaction was so what. Didnt' take out notebook, Didn't ask any follow-up calls.



(Then there is this during the cross examination, Fl is Fleisher, J is the defense attorney):

J Your recollection of when you talked to these reporters was when. This event at 4 is after that event. Shortly after 3:00, shortly after 8:00 (AM) EST. Was there a third reporter?

Fl Tamara Lipper, Newsweek.

Fl my recollection is that she had walked off. Gregory and Dickerson.

J They were asking you questions. How did the information get in your speech, Bush was asked. Were the reporters asking you questions.

Fl No I volunteered it. Talking about bad week at WH, Why going after DCI Tenet, What I recall, in large part that report on CBS, plus the fact that I had heard it from two Admin officials, so I volunteered it.

J Clear memory of another conversation with Gregory.

Fl I remember Gregory saying what a terrible last week it was. I remember saying to Mr. Gregory, "If it wasn't this crap, it was some other crap."

J Did you have second thoughts about that word.

Fl PS' shouldn't use the word. I said, if you're going to use it, don't use that word.

J But no second thoughts about what Wilson.

Fl I don't recall whether it was on the record or on background.

J He'd be perfectly free to call NBC news? And Gregory worked for whom? Washington Bureau?

Fl works out of the WH. Tim Russert was head of Washington Bureau

J Another reporter was hearing the same conversatoin.

Dickerson, with his picture up.

J Dickerson worked for whom? Did these reporters… Do you know a reporter named Matt Cooper?

Fl Yessir.

J Did these reporters have telephones?

Fl on the airplane? Yes.

At least a little after 8 in the morning EST both of these reporters knew from you that Wilson's worked at CIA.


(Both snips are taken from Firedoglake)

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/29/libby-live-ari-fleischer-two/#more-6876

[Patsy Stone]

114. I like this theory from a comment at FDL

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/01/29/never-in-his-wildest-dreams/ (Post #106)

Scarecrow says:

January 29th, 2007 at 6:44 pm

The account by Dickerson is interesting because it reminds us that there were two ways of disclosing Plame’s identity and position and the Administration used both. The most direct was to simply tell reporters that Wilson was sent by his wife, who worked for the CIA in the CFD. But they also pointed more than one reporter in Valerie’s direction, by suggesting to other reporters that they should go check at the CIA to find out who sent Wilson. Ari used both approaches, and it seems logical to suspect that both were calculated strategies — use one on some reporters; use the other, more subtle approach on others; and it’s possible he confused which message type he used on Dickerson (who says it was the second).

But here’s the point. Ari knew that when he pointed reporters in that direction, they would discover that Plame had a role and was married to Wilson. Whoever gave this instruction to Ari, the messenger, probably knew her position in the CPD. so this was the subtle way of exposing her without having their fingerprints on the deed.

It’s not clear to me that there is any legal distinction, and certainly not a moral distinction, between the two types of disclosure. Both had the predictable effect of exposing Plame, to whom all WH officials owed a duty of care in concealing her identity and position.

IIRC, Condi Rice, on the Africa trip with Ari, also used the second technique - urging reporters to go to the CIA and ask who sent Wilson — so she apparently knew what Ari knew, that the end of the reporters’ search would lead them to Valerie Plame, Wilson’s wife. And she was NSA, so she should have known the sensitivity of that position at CIA. Equal culpability for Rice — did she get/need an immunity?