The White House’s Legal Katrina

Human Events Online ^ | oct. 18 , 2005 | Victoria Toensing

[blogblogginaway]

There now appears to be consensus that no one violated the 1982 Agent Identities Protection Act in publishing the name of CIA employee Valerie Plame. It’s a hard law to violate. Its high threshold requires that the person whose identity is revealed must actually be covert (which requires at the least a foreign assignment within five years of the revelation), that the government must be taking “affirmative measures” to conceal the person’s identity, and that the revealer must know that the government is taking those measures.

So why didn’t Patrick Fitzgerald, the special counsel investigating the “leak,” close up shop long ago?

[AUsome Joy]

I was able to read it. The printer friendly version was not on line.

My heart sank reading that the prosecutor is taking "a creative" approach to finding a legal violation. He is looking for a law to use to indict because no one violated the Identities Protection Act. This is rather frightening.

[Txsleuth]

She HATES breaking the truth to Chrissy....because he prolly throws a hissy fit during commercials..

Remember what he did to Michelle Malkin?

[sinkspur]

Fitz should have closed up shop a year ago.

But, he lost this big terrorist because one of his deputies botched the case.

What better way to get his "reputation" back than to stretch and strain to bring somebody--ANYBODY--into the dock.

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks for the link. It is a good article.

[blau993]

Use the link that appears at the bottom of the excerpt, not the one at the top. The bottom one works just fine.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Andrea Mitchell on Hardball just now. Mentioned that Wilson "exaggerated/lied" when he told everyone that Cheney sent him to Africa."

Lugsoul has insisted - with quotes to back him up - that Wilson did not say that, but that it was an inference made by some journalists who put together two facts - (1) it was Cheney who requested that the Niger claims be looked into and (2) Wilson was the one who looked into it - without realizing that there was never any contact whatsoever between Cheney and Wilson. Wilson was, however, guilty of misrepresentations that were far more significant than who selected him for the trip.

[syriacus]

Stephen Hayes on Hardball saying most of what Wilson said was wrong. Impossible for Wilson to have debunked forgeries which were not available at the time.

Fineman says "At this point Wilson is almost beside the point." Matthews keeps interrupting Hayes, says that Wilson will be elated if indictments of people like Libby come out of this.

[cmsgop]

Toensing is a serious and well-connected person. Her writing like this is not a good sign.

Did you read the whole thing?

[right right]

He is riding the clock.
He may indict Wilson.
He may indict someone from the WH.
He may not do anything.
Either way he is riding the clock and we are paying the bill. Easy money!!!

[Bahbah]

Wilson, in addition to all that, was known around town as a grandstander and a bit of a flake.

I really enjoyed reading this. I think, from what Ms. Toensing writes, there is no there there so, unless Fitzgerald is not the paragon of rectitude he is made out to be, this is going off a cliff to nowhere.

[Steve_Seattle]

Matthews smells blood and doesn't want to be bothered by the facts.

[SF Republican]

When it was all over - It is not all over yet

[Para-Ord.45]

" One possible answer is that someone lied about a material fact when testifying before the grand jury or obstructed justice in some other way. If that is the case, the prosecutor should indict.

However, recent reporting, attributable to “lawyers familiar with the investigation,” points to a different prosecutorial tactic: Fitzgerald may be taking a “creative” approach to finding a legal violation. In other words, he may be trying to find a law other than the Agent Identities Protection Act that he might be able to apply to the factual scenario in this case even though it was never intended to cover such conduct. "

The SP has got nothing,he`s fishing for perjury,making people testify over and over hoping they`ll slip up.Or he`ll just dust off some convoluted law he found in a book somewhere.

All to save face.

[AntiGuv]

Here's the link: The White House’s Legal Katrina. It's the very top story, but you probably missed it because the title's been changed on the thread here.

[syriacus]

I have read Wilson's actual column so I know what Lugsoul means.

Mitchell, though, seemed to be saying that Wilson misrepresented himself, to others around town, as someone who was sent to Africa by Cheney.

It seems pretty apparent that Wilson intended that people would think Cheney sent him.

Wilson didn't put that little detail about Cheney in his "columnful of lies" for no reason.

[NormalGuy]

after being embarrassed in a terrorism investigation two years ago.

What are you referring to? The great GOP Senator Peter Fitzgerald brought Patrict Fitzgerald from NY to Northern IL 6+ years ago. Patrick Fitzgerald is the best thing that has happened to Illinois since I came here in '61. Fitzgerald has an extremely good batting average. He does not try his cases in public. He investigates thoroughly. He indicts only when he has cause. Because his indictments are solid, he wins the convictions.

A few more people in government like Fitzgerald and those of us who distrust government would have no reason to distrust government.

[syriacus]

Matthews smells blood and doesn't want to be bothered by the facts.

Perhaps his own nose is being bloodied by the truth.

[Shermy]

"Andrea Mitchell on Hardball just now. Mentioned that Wilson "exaggerated/lied" when he told everyone that Cheney sent him to Africa. Andrea didn't look too well."

Now THAT'S news. Mitchell was chums with Wilson. Gave him his first public TV interview. Later showed Wilson some Niger docs and Wilson acted like he'd never seen them before. (Maybe wife took home some homework).

Didn't look too well? Perhaps the feeling of "it's all over" as with It's All Over the cozy relationship of leaking govt. officials with journalists, doling out insider info. Novak blew the whole cozy deal.

We'll see.

[blogblogginaway]

I don't necessarily agree with her concluding sentence "The White House better get prepared for the aftermath."

I truly do not believe this prosecutor will indict anyone based on Wilson's spin perpetuated by the media. I also do not believe Fitzgerald's would "stretch the law" to get an indictment. The true crime here (and I cannot tell you which 'law' it would fall under) is the attempt of Wilson and the media to interfere with ... 1) the 2004 election and ... 2) treason, in my opinion.

[leadpenny]

Thanks, got it now.