MATT COOPER Testifies ROVE FIRST PERSON WHO TOLD HIM ABOUT PLAME

[kpete]

Matthew Cooper Testifies Rove Told Him About Plame (Update3)

By Laurie Asseo

Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Former Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper testified today that top presidential aide Karl Rove was the first person to tell him that an Iraq war critic's wife was a CIA official.

Cooper, testifying in Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby's perjury trial, also contradicted Libby's account of a conversation the two had the following day, on July 12, 2003, about war critic Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame.

Libby, 56, Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide, is accused of lying to investigators probing whether U.S. officials deliberately leaked Plame's identity to retaliate against Wilson for attacking the administration's Iraq war claims. Prosecutors say Libby falsely told a grand jury that, when Cooper asked about Plame, he said he heard about her from other reporters and didn't know if the information was true.

``I asked what he heard about Wilson's wife'' sending him to Niger to find out if Iraq sought to buy uranium there, Cooper said. ``Mr. Libby said words to the effect of `yeah, I heard that too.'''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aKqCOEH3eUaw

[kpete]

1. MORE FROM BLOOMBERG:

Cooper said he was looking into the controversy over that statement when he spoke on July 11, 2003, to Rove, who hasn't been charged in the leak investigation.

Rove said, ``A number of things were going to be coming out about Mr. Wilson that would cast him in a different light,'' including who was involved in sending Wilson to Africa, Cooper testified.

``I said `who' and he said, `like, his wife,''' Cooper said. Rove said Wilson's wife worked in weapons of mass destruction at ``the agency,'' which Cooper said he took to mean the Central Intelligence Agency. Rove then said, ``I've already said too much. I've got to go,'' Cooper said.

more at:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aKq...

[thereismore]

8. that means Rove knew he was breaking the law: "said too much". Ha.

[symbolman]

14. My god

Don't they KNOW that Rove WAS INDICTED over there at Bloomberg, someone better alert Jason Leopold immediately, and he can set them straight..

Or give Bloomberg 24 Business Hours to fix it, offer a Retraction. :)

[fooj]

2. What a shock!

:grr:

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Bwahahahahahaha!

I wonder what this means for KKKRove?

:popcorn:

[Tin Man]

4. Oh the irony.... Bush promised to "take care of" leakers in his Administration

"If there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is," Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of."

Yep, Rove has been "taken care of" alright - WELL taken care of.

Props to Virginia Dare for pointing this out in a parallel thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=92613&mesg_id=92711

[AikidoSoul]

5. Early on the drama demonstrates that Libby was protecting Rove -- evidenced by Libby's false claim

that Cooper had told him he heard about the Plame / Wilson business "from other reporters". Libby knew that was a lie. He knew Cooper heard about Plame from Rove.

Kick and rec...

Like to see the sticky feelers of truth wrapping Rove, Cheney, Bush and Libby in a cocoon of deep sh...t.

:popcorn:

[fooj]

7. And Rove is protecting...

BINGO!

[leveymg]

6. So, who told Rove?

We heard back in '05 that it was Novak or Miller.

This just about seals it. Cheney structured the crime so that all the principals except Scooter could plausibly say that Plame's identity wasn't secret because they were hearing about her from members of the media. That was Libby's original cover-story too, before Miller talked.

But, we now know that the chain of custody for that information leads back, ultimately, to Libby and to Cheney. Cheney was Libby's original source. Cheney is the ringleader. He's going down.

[Jacobin]

9. Cheney told Bush, Bush told Rove

Had to be.

[cassiepriam]

24. Yes I think so.

[Tellurian]

10. Yes, no neck is going down... Oh, Happy Day!

somebody put up a huge graphic of that EVIL Man!

[AikidoSoul]

11. I hope you're right about this. Then of course Bush could sign an executive order or directive or

whatever.. and pardon Cheney and all the other criminals before they're formerly charged with anything....

What if he declares that no laws were broken because his directive makes it legal retroactively for them to do what they did?

Or he can declare by his unlimited presidential authority that Libby and Cheney are entitled to retroactive immunity.

Followed up by giving them the Medal of Freedom.

Nothing would surprise me.

Slime is thick in the WH as the dignity of that office continues to slip slide awwaaayyyyyyyy....

:popcorn:

[leveymg]

21. Nope. Can't pardon someone until they're charged.

Bush would have to wait until indictments were issued. No claiming there's no basis for the crime. Acceptance of a pardon is an admission of criminality. No way, politically, that Cheney would be able to stay in office after that.:D

[babylonsister]

12. Has a VP ever been imprisoned? Boy, would he be a fine candidate,

thus securing HIS legacy!

[malaise]

16. Looks that way

but before he apparently plans to carry down Iran with him. IMPEACH these bastards.

[Mandate My Ass]

13. Another freeper talking point bites the dust

Namely, "Everybody in Washington knew Plame was CIA. Rove et al heard it from reporters." :eyes:

[Richard Steele]

15. Loving it! recommended.

[AzDar]

17. I'm guessing that no one at the White House is going to be sorry

to throw Rove under the bus...he disappointed them so by under-cheating in the mid-terms.

[kimmerspixelated]

18. Makes you wonder if

he under cheated them because he KNEW this was coming, and it was payback of sorts.

[Catherine Vincent]

19. That's why Rove's indictment is sealed.

n/t

[myrna minx]

20. Veeery Interesting. n/t

[progressoid]

22. Problem is, Karl's not on trial.

And it doesn't look like he's gonna be charged with anything either.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

23. :Dragnet Theme: n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

25. Kick...

Tune in again tomorrow...same time same channel...for the next thrilling episode of...as the turd blossoms...brought to you by the makers of Exxon and Halliburton...