[Southack]

It's an "own goal" by Democrats and the news media against their own guy. Consider:

Prior to joining the current administration, Mr. Libby served as the Managing Partner of the Washington office of the international law firm of Dechert, Price & Rhoads. He was a member of the firm’s litigation department and chaired the Washington office’s Public Policy Practice Group.

OK, so who are Dechert, Price & Rhoads? Fair question.

The Dechert, Price & Rhoads firm is listed by OpenSecrets.org as being a Democratic Party (only) campaign donor:

DECHERT PRICE & RHOADS
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19103
9/29/1992
$3,000
New Jersey Gala '92

DECHERT PRICE & RHOADS
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19103
10/3/1991
$250
DNC/Non-Federal Corporate

DECHERT PRICE & RHOADS
PHILADELPHIA,PA 19103
2/22/1996
$1,000
DNC/Non-Federal Corporate

---

Contributions to the GOP: $0.00.

But wait, there's more. Scooter Libby was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award in 1993...awards from the Clinton Administration.

Robert Novak called Scooter Libby "no partisan gunslinger."

Why? Because he was a Democrat working in GOP administrations. Scooter Libby was the go-to guy for the news media...he was their inside source at the White House...and now he's gone.

Good riddance.

[PhiKapMom]

Onyx -- Read #13 -- looks like we were right!

[nopardons]

And he was perhaps playing footsie with Judy Miller.

[txhurl]

Right you are.

If he was on our side, and had any aspirations whatsoever in the party, I think we'd at least be able to recognize his name prior to this indictment? How many politicos shy from recognition that you know?

How he held out as long as he did is the new mystery.

[conservative in nyc]

But wait, there's more. Scooter Libby was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Award and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award in 1993...awards from the Clinton Administration.

When in 1993? The Stain didn't take office until January 20.

Robert Novak called Scooter Libby "no partisan gunslinger."

We still don't know Robert Novak's source. If it were Libby, the indictment would have said so.

[ScaniaBoy]

Robert Novak called Scooter Libby "no partisan gunslinger."

Has Novak revealed his sources to the public?

[caryatid]

Why? Because he was a Democrat working in GOP administrations. Scooter Libby was the go-to guy for the news media...he was their inside source at the White House...and now he's gone.

Good riddance.

Is my recollection correct that Scooter Libby represented Marc Rich?

[IrishRainy]

So do you think he was some kind of mole? And maybe the administration knew it was him so they let him get "caught?"

[pollyg107]

If Libby is a Democrat & friend of the liberal media elites, why are they so giddy at his indictment? Do they think he is going to testify against Cheney? I'm somewhat skeptical, because Libby was such a strong supporter of Bush's foreign policy. This is very interesting information, though.

[johnny7]

Isn't it kind'a early to be 'drinkin hard-liquor?

[marty60]

HUMMMM LOOKS LIKE THE MSM MISSED THIS LITTLE FACTOID. I have always wondered why Russert would PERSONALLY call Libby. Now we know , he was one of them.

[Liz]

Nice, very nice, take.

Lest we forget, Libby was the lawyer for Marc Rich, the nation's biggest tax cheat who renounced his American citizenship, then fled to evade prosecution. By all accounts, Libby called to congratulate Rich on getting the Clinton pardon, and he made the call from the Vice President's office.

That's not something a true blue conservative would do. Makes you wonder what side this guy Libby is on, doesn't it?

I guess Marc Rich must have been gratified to know he had a "friend" in the new Bush administration, right smack dab in the VP's office. Having a foot in both political camps, although totally unprincipled, is so handy, especially if you are a convicted tax cheat.

The story to now: Judith Miller was released from jail on 29 September 2005 after agreeing to testify. She appeared in front of the grand jury on 30 September.

American Prospect magazine revealed in August 2005 that Libby had testified that he met with NY Times reporter, Judith Miller, on July 8, 2003 and discussed Plame with her at that time. Miller was jailed on 6 July 2005 for contempt of court after refusing to testify to the grand jury about this meeting despite a signed blanket waiver from Libby allowing journalists to discuss their conversations.

Miller has argued that Libby's waiver to all journalists may well have been coerced and that she would only testify if given an individual waiver, which Miller received while serving her sentence.

The waiver was offered "voluntarily and personally" by Libby, accompanied by his letter which has raised eyebrows because of Libby's hinting as to what he expects from her testimony, and a poetic and cryptic ending which has been the subject of much speculation.

Libby: "As noted above, my lawyer confirmed my waiver to other reporters in just the way he did with your lawyer. Why? Because as I am sure will not be news to you, the public report of every other reporter's testimony makes clear that they did not discuss Ms. Plame's name or identity with me, or knew about her before our call......

"You went to jail in the summer. It is fall now. You will have stories to cover -- Iraqi elections and suicide bombers, biological threats and the Iranian nuclear program. Out West, where you vacation, the aspens will already be turning. They turn in clusters, because their roots connect them. Come back to work—-and life. Until then, you will remain in my thoughts and prayers. With admiration, Scooter Libby." [Emphasis added.]

====================================================

Sure doesn't sound like something a conservative would write, now does it? And don't you just love Libby's gratuitous reference to the "Iranian nuclear program." Clearly Libby was setting Miller up to push his agenda. Talk about agitprop. Guy's a master proselytizer.

Like you said.......good riddance.

[tiki]

Hmmm. I hope the WH keeps everything to themselves now. Bush could give little speeches like he's been doing to inform the public and the MSM could eat *&^%. They could send people out to talk to Rush and Snow and a few others and they could have all the scoop and the MSM could do what it already does report conjecture that rarely turns out to be true.

[shezza]

P-I-N-G

[pollyannaish]

Interesting. An angle like that would explain WHY Libby thought Russert etc. would cover for him. That explains the letter. That explains the entire Miller angle.

Question: Does it explain the sell-out Marine in Cheney's office? And how did Cheney come to put him in as chief of staff.

Excellent research.

[EverOnward]

Re: #13

So is all this a dog and pony show to divert the attention of the American people away from more important issues? And if so, by whom and why?

[EverOnward]

Re your Post #13

-- been busy, but also talked with someone who worked with Libby at Mudge Rose Guthrie Alexander & Ferdon -- the law firm he took over (was Nixon's old law firm as I remember) and ran into the ground. While the firm was taking a nose dive he had his door closed writing his novel THE APPRENTICE

(http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm?qwork=382095&wauth=lewis%20libby&matches=59&qsort=r&cm_re=works*listing*title).

Seems he was known at the firm as a cocky weird little guy (vertically challenged) that worked a lot with DoD. They said he liked to play war games. Libby represented the billionaire financier Marc Rich pardoned by Clinton for tax evasion. Libby also worked for the State Department. What Libby's connections were/weren't with the CIA are unknown by this person though would not be surprised if there were a connection of some sort.

Frankly, I find this whole story becoming more and more of a so-what dog and pony show for what purpose I know not. We Americans have more pressing issues that should be addressed both by our media and our government. While Rome burns, the media, the politicians and the bureaucrats fiddle. This is a giant waste of time and money for the average American. It appears to be a fight within the inner circle and who knows what's really at the core of it all.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Robert Novak called Scooter Libby "no partisan gunslinger."

Novak said his source was "no partisan gunslinger"; someone he identified as an administration official, but not a Republican. Also, he said after the Libby indictment that, when he's free to reveal the name of source, we would all get a good laugh out of it.

IMO, Novak's source was Agent 99's old boss, George Tenant.

I also think we're working too hard looking for reasons to throw Mr. Libby under the bus. I eagerly await his side of this story.

[Anselma]

This gives me one heck of a headache. I'm spinning. Do we know OpenSecrets.org is legit?