Do you have a link to the NYTimes article? It doesn't surprise me to find outright lies in the WAPO....it does surprise me that these reporters clearly have no interest in maintaining any kind of reputation for journalistic integrity (oops, they are all democrats so integrity is a concept that is meaningless to them anyway).
When delusion goes to court:
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"It is hard to conceive of what evidence there could be that would disprove the existence of White House efforts to 'punish' Wilson," Fitzgerald wrote in a court filing last year.
(snip)
"The plainspoken Russert ((((?????))))
will be a star government witness. He has told Fitzgerald that Libby fabricated parts of a conversation with him. He has said that when he spoke with Libby in mid-July, Plame never came up as Libby complained that MSNBC host Chris Matthews had an antiwar slant.
Russert has said he did not know about Plame until he read Novak's column. A source familiar with the case says his version will be corroborated by testimony from NBC News's former president, Neal Shapiro. Russert told Shapiro about Libby's complaint soon after the call, the source said, saying nothing about Plame."
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Further reading:
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/
I have not yet prepared my Libby trial pre-game, but here is an excellent overview by Josh Gerstein of the NY Sun. I endorse this:
Members of both camps are seeking vindication from Mr. Libby's impending courtroom battle, but whether they will get it is another question. The former White House official is charged with lying and obstruction of justice, not leaking, so the trial may be so circumscribed that both cheering sections are left with an unsatisfying result.