Posted on 10/28/2005 10:14:53 AM PDT by blogblogginaway
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1028051plame1.html
Tempest in a teapot bump.
"Fitz knows it's bogus. That's why he uses the characterization that "her affiliation with the agency was classified." It's a much broader, vaguer term. Notice that NO WHERE in the indictment is there any allegation that Libby violated either the 1917 or 1982 laws. Only that he lied about talking about Plame. If you read between the lines, Fitz is admitting that her status is ambiguous. No mention of "covert status"."
You're right. This prosecutor is counting on the fact that most of the public is too stupid to understand that these indictments have nothing to do with the actual charges that required the special prosecutor in the first place.
Exactly!
Yes Fitz knows its bogus. That's why he didn't indict on the underlying charges. But he has to put it in the indictment, because Libby's motivation to lie was that he thought he was committing the underlying offense. Or at least worried enough about it to lie.
However, if he did purposely mislead, no one is above the law. It would be difficult to imagine that Libby would be so Hell bent on Wilson's Times' piece etc. (the "yellow stuff" was not the story to end all stories) to be in such a "fever" to denounce him and risk consequences to himself. Why Bother??? Definitely not a good day for Libby, not a washout for Bush Administration, but a disappointing day for the Liberals. ;)
Novak's Source No. 1 = Official "A" = Rove.
It says that Plame's status was "classified" but the only thing Libby is charged with is mischaracterizing the conversations that he had with the reporters. For example, it says that he told the Grand Jury that Russert asked him whether Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, but that in fact, Russert never asked him that.
THAT"S exactly why Libby needs to take this down full throttle! Wilson and Plame need to be exposed, but most of all WE need to go after the CIA and clean out that Rat's nest!
Glad to hear it GGOP (/slightly mollified)
If Libby's version turns out to be true, maybe Fitz will indict Russert, Miller and Coooper. <off sarcasm
"Novak's Source No. 1 = Official "A" = Rove"
Disagree. Rove was Novak's source no. 2.
Libby was not 1 or 2.
NO. 1 Novak described as "not a partisan gunslinger."
Wilkerson, Tenet, Clarke, Powell etc.
Here's my guess as to why Rove is still under investigation. The indictment comes out against Libby. He will now be offered a cooperation agreement / plea deal to reduce his sentence to finger Rove, and maybe others.
There are a whole lot of soggy bottoms in foggy bottom right now...
Page 16:
LIBBY ... stated that:"During a conversation with Tim Russert of NBC News on July 10 or 11 [db - note Fitz can't even nail down the specifics, but is charging Libby for being unable to nail down specifics], Russert asked LIBBY if LIBBY was aware that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA. Libby responded to Russert that he did not know that, and Russert replied that all the reporters knew it. Libby was surprised by this statement because, while speaking with Russert, Libby did not recall that he had previously learned about Wilson's wife's employment from the Vice President.
As defendent LIBBY well knew when he made it, this statement was false in that LIBBY spoke with Russert on or about July 10 or 11, 2003:
a. Russert did not ask Libby if Libby knew that Wilson's wife worked for the CIA, nor did he tell LIBBY that all the reporters knew it, and
b. At the time of the conversation, LIBBY was well aware that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA.
---------
Well, we see here why Fitz had to claim that it was not common knowledge that Plame worked at the CIA - in order to make this indictment plausible. Not only that, but he is basing it on a Libby said, Russert said situation. And Libby cannot even pin down the date of the conversation.
What a sham.
Check out my post #75 - it shows why Fitz had to claim that Wilson's affiliation with the CIA was not common knowledge.
And as a side note to my theory. If libby were a clinton administration official, he'd be in fort marcy park right now so he would never even have opportunity to sing like a birdie.
Yeah, and Cooper denied he talked to Rove about "Welfare Reform"
But Rove's notes said he did.
And after testifying, Cooper said he found notes that during that week he was researching welfare reform.
Cooper's memory is the centerpiece of this case. Wooo!
I wager Novak's source #1 was someone within the CIA.
Apparently trying to create a situation in which someone in the admin would make statements contradictory to someone else's statements.
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