WOODWARD COULD KO CASE VS. SCOOTER

NY Post ^ | 11-17-05 | DEBORAH ORIN

[veronica]

November 17, 2005 -- CALL it "Deep Throat 2." The CIA-leak probe is in big trouble because superstar reporter and Watergate hero Bob Woodward has emerged as a surprise witness for the defense — potentially undermining the case against ex-White House aide Scooter Libby.

Woodward yesterday revealed that he's told prosecutors he could be the first reporter to learn from a Bush administration source that Iraq war critic Joe Wilson's wife worked as a CIA analyst — but Libby wasn't his new "Deep Throat."

[Dave S]

What if Woodward told Libby?

Woodward wasnt even told until mid June. Libby was first told in late May/early June. He had been told by numerous people prior to mid June. So if Woodward told Libby it was probably because one of the same people that told Libby, told him. Or pershaps Libby told the person that told Woodward. Looking forward to the trial to find out who told who.

[daviscupper]

If I were Fitzgerald I would be thinking really hard now about dropping the whole thing. However, his ego may get the best of his better judgement. I beginning to think that Fitzgerald may be squirming more than Libby. JMHO

[popdonnelly]

"My concern with this is that Woodward might be willing to lie if it helps bring the Bush admin down, person by person."

He is not likely to lie in the context of his deposition. He's under oath. And he can probably guess what his source told Fitzgerald. So I don't think he's going to lie and risk jail.

[denydenydeny]

The guys on Hume's show on FNC last night were saying that Woodward characterized his source as a former administration official.

Woodward has been chummy with Colin Powell for some time, hasn't he?

[cookcounty]

"How about Colin Powell?"

He is the most likely candiate. He is a "former" official, he was a "high" official%��5{��������sonal terms with Woodward, and Woodward said this was more in the line of gossip than any attempt to "punish" Mr. Wilson (Oh, how I wish I could be "punished" by being smitten with a multi-million dollar book deal!!).

Question for Mr. Wilson: "When your undercover wife is off on clandestine assignments, do you change the diapers on your twins by yourself?"

[Sam Hill]

"The news story that I read said that Woodward testified that a Senior Whitehouse member told him about Plame well before the Novak story. Tenet or Powell were not members of the Whitehouse."

I believe Woodword (and other attorneys) have said that it was a "former senior administration official."

Both Tenet and Powell fit the bill. And they are the two most popular suspects in the news analysis since.

[HawaiianGecko]

	"Libby isn't charged with leaking the information, but rather, he was charged with lying to prosecutors and the DA about something that wasn't a crime in the first place." Not really IMHO. Basically Fitz said he found evidence that Libby learned about Plame prior to hearing it from one of only three reporters, therefore, he lied about learning it from a reporter. Woodward demonstrates that "hey, there are more than 3 reporters in the country and you haven't questioned all of them yet." A reporter may have told Libby in 2001... they have no legal obligation to come forth and testify. Basically this is a "it's cloudy, therefore it's raining" type of prosecution.  No matter how tight Fitzgerald's timeline is, he will never preclude the possibility that Libby heard this from a reporter.  All he can prove is that he knew prior to talking with Matt Cooper/Judith Miller and that's not a crime.

 

 

[cookcounty]

"Mickey Kaus in Hugh Hewitt's show yesterday said that Novak's source was a WOMAN and that Fitzgerald decided not to indict her. A WOMAN? "

Andrea Mitchell said she knew at the time. ....Or could it be Condi? .....or.....poor Mrs. Wilson?

[popdonnelly]

Sure. If Libby is found guilty of having committed perjury, then he'll have to take his medicine. But I don't find his crime to be of greater interest than, say, stealing Top Secret documents out of the National Archives.

[denydenydeny]

I don't trust Woodward, and I don't trust his motives in coming out at this particular time with this story.

I don't particularly trust him either, but if you look at DU they are ready to string him up.

[Prost1]

http://www.webcom.com/ctka/pr196-woodward.html

He had a crypto clearance...

"Bob's assignment was to a very special ship, called a "floating Pentagon," the U.S.S. Wright. The ship was a National Emergency Command Ship-a place where a President and cabinet could preside from in the event of a nuclear war. It had elaborate and sophisticated communications and data processing capabilities. It had a smaller replica of the war room at the Pentagon. It ran under what was called SIOP-Single Integrated Operation Plan. For example, in the event of nuclear war, the Wright was third in line to take full command if the two ahead of it, the Strategic Air Command in Omaha (SAC) and NORAD, were rendered incommunicado. Woodward-straightfacedly-told authors Colodny and Gettlin (Silent Coup) that he guessed he was picked for the ship because he had been a radio ham as a kid.

Aboard the Wright, Woodward had top secret "crypto" clearance-the same clearance researcher Harold Weisberg found had been assigned to Lee Harvey Oswald when he was himself in the Marines. Such clearance in Woodward's case gave him full access to nearly all classified materials and codes on the ship. Woodward also ran the ship's newspaper. Woodward has insisted that possessing a high security clearance is not necessarily indicative of intelligence work."

He had access, he had the most sensitive clearance, he knew some of the most powerful people....

[Redmen4ever]

Libby is charged with misleading investigators, lying to the grand jury and obstructing justice because - according to the special prosecutor - he said things that were contradicted by things that were said by one or more of three reporters (it is not clear if the special prosecutor is saying that all three of these reporters contraverted Libby). Woodward's statement contradicts what one of these reporters (Chris Matthews) said.

At the very least, this indicates that the special prosecutor will not be able to establish a "preponderance of evidence" in favor of his case, no less "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."

In addition, Woodward's statement may indicate that the special prosecutor abused his discretion bringing an indictment against Libby when it is equally likely that another person (Matthews) did all the things which Libby is alleged to have done, especially since it soon became clear that there was never an underlying crime to investigate.

[Dave S]

You want to throw him in the slammer for thirty years for perjury (a "process crime") where his testimony was not material because there was no crime. Never mind. It was illegal. (Name the last person who was prosecuted for perjury under such circumstances? Cite twenty cases.)

Martha Stewart. If you want 20 do the research yourself.

Hey, aren't you the same guy who defends illegal aliens? Don't you say, whem it's noted they have broken the law:

No, Im the guy that attacks simple minded thinkers and hypocrites. The quote you gave was in response to some trash about the fact they broke the law to get in. Duh, the penalty for breaking that law is less than for driving w/o a seat belt in some states. My whole point on that thread (apparently no one noticed) was to suggest that it was simpled minded to expect that 20 million could be arrested and tossed out over nite and not be back the next day. I was also pointing out the foolish of people who wanted to put a bounty on illegals living in this country of $500 a head, dead or alive.

[HawaiianGecko]

	An 'administration official' means anyone that works in government that doesn't work for the Supreme Court or Congress. A 'White House Official' is different.  Then adding 'former' to the mix does open up the possibility of an official of a former administration, but I don't think Woodward is being that cute.

 

 

[popdonnelly]

"Except that Woodward said he wasnt told by his administration source until mid June."

And Woodward immediately told Pincus, who has conveniently forgotten the conversation.

[Cementjungle]

This is a set up. They are wheeling out Woodward to reignite the Rove conspiracy theory.
They are trying to pull a Watergate2.
Not going to work.

This is exactly the plan. Libby wasn't a big enough catch so now they're using Woodward to try and pin someone else, and Rove would be the next likely target. The media is in on this too, which explains their prompt reporting of this yestreday.

[Eva]

No, it's not irrelevant because Woodward has said that he could have been the reporter who told Libby, indicating that Libby was not only not the first person to leak the name, but may have just had a faulty memory, regarding which reporter told him the information.

[Sam Hill]

"Aboard the Wright, Woodward had top secret "crypto" clearance-the same clearance researcher Harold Weisberg found had been assigned to Lee Harvey Oswald when he was himself in the Marines. Such clearance in Woodward's case gave him full access to nearly all classified materials and codes on the ship. Woodward also ran the ship's newspaper. Woodward has insisted that possessing a high security clearance is not necessarily indicative of intelligence work."

He had access, he had the most sensitive clearance, he knew some of the most powerful people.... "

Having a "crypto clearance" means that you are allowed to type up messages that were decrypted. It's not a "most sensitive clearance" by any means.

Probably a hundred thousand guys and gals have had such clearance in the military. Including Oswald, who the KGB laughed at when he tried to sell them on his value as a defector.

Woodward was not a spy. He did not work in intelligence. That is all fantasy.

[Eva]

The significance is that Woodward admits that he may have passed that information on to Libby, indicating Libby may only be guilty of a faulty memory and so over confident in his innocense that he hadn't bothered to review his own notes before testifying. Forgetfulness and over confidence is not perjury.

[Dave S]

"My concern with this is that Woodward might be willing to lie if it helps bring the Bush admin down, person by person."

He is not likely to lie in the context of his deposition. He's under oath. And he can probably guess what his source told Fitzgerald. So I don't think he's going to lie and risk jail.

Im in agreement with you. Sorry but the line you attributed to me was from Mizterious. My text didnt appear because I hit a period instead of a > so my html code was overlooked. I later resent the message to him, maybe a half hour later.