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Scooter Libby Works For President Bush
Josh Marshall hits on a point that I was thinking about:
Remember, I. Lewis Libby doesn't just work for the Vice President.
From the beginning of the administration, a key root of Libby's power at the White House is that he works both for the Vice President (as Chief of Staff and National Security Affairs Advisor) and the President of the United States (as Assistant to the President).
Why is this important? Because as the spin machine gets going, you will begin to see the Republicans try to narrow the story and isolate Libby from the President, and just associate him with the Vice-President. But let's remind the media at every opportunity and folks that we talk to that Libby, as a National Security Affairs Advisor and as an Assistant to the President. He was advising the President regularly before and during the lead up to the Iraq War. He was an instrumental advisor to the President on security matters, such as, say, yellowcake in Niger.
Josh also points this information out from page five of the indictment:
Go to page 5 of the indictment. Top of the page, item #9.
On or about June 12, 2003, LIBBY was advised by the Vice President of the United States that Wilson's wife worked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Counterproliferation Divison. LIBBY understood that the Vice President had learned this information from the CIA.
This is a crucial piece of information. The Counterproliferation Division (CPD) is part of the CIA's Directorate of Operations, i.e., not Directorate of Intelligence, the branch of the CIA where 'analysts' come from, but the DO, where the spies, the 'operatives' come from.
Libby's a long time national security hand. He knows exactly what CPD is and where it is. So does Cheney. They both knew. It's right there in the indictment.
How is that not treason?
Video of
Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald on Lewis Libby Indictments (10/28/2005)
http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp
in this section :
VIDEO / AUDIO
RECENT PROGRAMS >>
I'm always one to find the poetic irony in political situations and this one is no different.
On the same day Patrick Fitzgerald announces the results of his two-year investigation, where Administration official VERY HIGH UP in the White House pyramid are indicted, its decided Rosa Parks will lie in state, an honor rarely afforded civilians--in the Nation's Capitol building.
Makes me think that maybe both God and justice have a long fuse...
also don't miss this **very** short video:
Pres. Bush Reacts to Indictments of Lewis Libby
http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp
in this section :
VIDEO / AUDIO
RECENT PROGRAMS >>
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lewis Libby, who resigned on Friday as Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, said he believed he would be found innocent of the charges against him in the CIA leak investigation.
"I am confident that at the end of this process I will be completely and totally exonerated," Libby said in a statement issued by his lawyer, Joseph Tate.
Libby was indicted for obstructing justice, perjury and lying after a two-year probe led by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald into the leak of covert CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity.
He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
"To say we are disappointed is an understatement. Mr Libby testified to the best of his honest recollection on all occasions," Tate said in a separate statement.
Statement by Rove's Attorney: (link is pdf file)
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/rove_102805.pdf
____________________________________________
Sent: Fri Oct 28 09:43:46 2005
Subject: STATEMENT OF ROBERT LUSKIN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mark Corallo
October 28, 2005 Corallo Media Strategies
(703) 838-9705
STATEMENT OF ROBERT LUSKIN, ATTORNEY TO KARL ROVE:
"The Special Counsel has advised Mr. Rove that he has made no decision about
whether or not to bring charges and that Mr. Rove's status has not changed. Mr. Rove
will continue to cooperate fully with the Special Counsel's efforts to complete the
investigation. We are confident that when the Special Counsel finishes his work, he will
conclude that Mr. Rove has done nothing wrong."
###
Mark Corallo
Corallo Media Strategies, LLC
520 North Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-9705 (office)
(703) 838-9708 (fax)
www.corallomedia.com mark@corallomedia.com
Text of Scooter's indictment-- 22 page pdf file:
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/libby_indict_102805.pdf
Special Counsel News Release - 9 page pdf file:
http://www.c-span.org/pdf/libby_release_102805.pdf
Posted by: monkey at October 28, 2005 05:10 PM
Yeah, he'll be exonerated like I'll win the lottery without buying a ticket... Of course, he has friends in high places who can *fix* things for him...
Could someone clarify the concerns Fitzgerald brought up re. the UK State Secrets Act. What's the background on that one?
Does anyone feel disappointed at today's limited news? My husband is in a funk now - he says we'll never get to the bottom of WHY they needed to silence Joe Wilson.
Posted by: aimzzz at October 28, 2005 05:30 PM
aimzzz, I listened to the press conference and I don't remember hearing anything about that. But here's the full transcript of the press conference, including the Q&A. Maybe you can find what you're looking for there and let us know...
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/28/politics/28text-fitz.html?pagewanted=all
there's more coming Amy. Here's some reading... do the first 3 major entries in this blog. It's done by 2 lawyers, one of whom is a prosecutor.
You'll both feel better after you finish reading it.
http://firedoglake.blogspot.com/
Amy, tell yer husband to chill... sure, a massacre would have been nice, but watchin' em all twist in the wind for a while as the investigation continues ain't so bad neither.
The spotlight is on the story now bigtime, it ain't goin' away.
(...and when did I start typin' with a southern drawl?)
A reckoning I reckon.
Thanks Dwaz and Monkey. I'll check out the blog and think about Rove's agony....
Posted by: Amy at October 28, 2005 05:33 PM
You know, Amy, it did seem a little disappointing that there was so much build up and only one person indicted. But then, it was a VIP indicted...someone with direct ties to the VP & Boy George. No matter what spin the talking heads try to put on it, it's very bad news for this failed presidency. It casts a very long & dark shadow on everything they have done and will do.
We must remember that and repeat that over and over, as Dick Bell told us to do a few weeks ago..."a failed presidency..."
And I don't think it's cause for celebration in any case, regardless of who was or wasn't indicted. It truly is a sad day for the citizens of our country to find out just how dishonest and corrupt those in power are. We can only hope that justice will be served, thanks to the great work of people like Patrick Fitzgerald and his colleagues.
Clearly it's a long way from over
In one of the boldest moves yet in the 22-month investigation into the outing of a covert CIA agent to a handful of top reporters covering the White House, Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is extending his probe and pursuing much more serious charges against senior White House officials, specifically President Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, lawyers directly involved in the case told RAW STORY Friday.
While many people were left confused by news reports that said Rove wouldn't be indicted Friday, the lawyers said that Rove remains under intense scrutiny and added that Fitzgerald is betting on the fact that he can secure an indictment against Rove on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, the misuse of classified information, and possibly other charges, as early as next week.
“This investigation is not yet over,” one of the lawyers in the case said. “You must keep in mind that people like Mr. Rove are still under investigation. Rather than securing an indictment on perjury charges against Mr. Rove Mr. Fitzgerald strongly believes he can convince the grand jury that he broke other laws.”
The lawyers said that in the past month Fitzgerald has obtained explosive information in the case that has enabled him to pursue broader charges such as conspiracy, and civil rights violations against targets like Rove. Specifically, the lawyers said Fitzgerald is focusing on phony intelligence documents that led to the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson’s identity: the documents that claimed Iraq was attempting to purchase yellow-cake uranium from Niger.
more...
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Fitzgerald_expands_probe_believes_he_can_1028.html
"To say we are disappointed is an understatement. Mr Libby testified to the best of his honest recollection on all occasions," Tate said in a separate statement.
excuse me, his honest recollections?
Does anyone feel disappointed at today's limited news? My husband is in a funk now - he says we'll never get to the bottom of WHY they needed to silence Joe Wilson.
Posted by: Amy at October 28, 2005 05:33 PM
Well, as one who hung on almost every word Mr. Fitzgerald said today, I think that is exactly his intent.
Tell your hubby to listen to the conference again.
Mr. Fitzgerald makes it abundantly clear that one of the reasons he indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice is because the question of why the perjury and obstruction occurred has to be answered.
He made it plain that that is where this is going. THE WHY.
Could someone clarify the concerns Fitzgerald brought up re. the UK State Secrets Act. What's the background on that one?
Posted by: aimzzz at October 28, 2005 05:30 PM
Official Secrets Act
UK act of Parliament 1989, prohibiting the disclosure of confidential material from government sources by employees; it remains an absolute offence for a member or former member of the security and intelligence services (or those working closely with them) to disclose information about their work. There is no public-interest defence, and disclosure of information already in the public domain is still a crime. Journalists who repeat disclosures may also be prosecuted.
The 1989 act replaced Section 2 of an act of 1911, which had long been accused of being too wide-ranging. Prosecution under criminal law is now reserved for material that the government claims is seriously harmful to national security. Any service member wishing to complain of misconduct within the service is allowed access to an independent counsellor, in turn with access to senior ministers. Investigations under special warrants, issued by the secretary of state in such cases as terrorist acts and organized crime, are also to be regarded as absolutely secret, but the act limits the circumstances of their operation, and there is an independent commissioner and tribunal to prevent abuse of such powers.
Thanks, madame defarge
My question is about the concern of converting the US act into the Official Secrets Act-- what is the issue here? Why the reluctance to use t he act. Fitz seems to be saying that many are concerned about it, but his own opinion is that it must be invoked only under the right circumstances. Fitz brought it up in this section:
QUESTION: Was the leaking of her identity in and of itself a crime?
FITZGERALD: OK. I think you have three questions there. I'm trying to remember them in order. I'll go backwards.
And all I'll say is that if national defense information which is involved because her affiliation with the CIA, whether or not she was covert, was classified, if that was intentionally transmitted, that would violate the statute known as Section 793, which is the Espionage Act.
That is a difficult statute to interpret. It's a statute you ought to carefully apply.
I think there are people out there who would argue that you would never use that to prosecute the transmission of classified information, because they think that would convert that statute into what is in England the Official Secrets Act.
Let me back up. The average American may not appreciate that there's no law that's specifically just says, If you give classified information to somebody else, it is a crime.
There may be an Official Secrets Act in England. There are some narrow statutes, and there is this one statute that has some flexibility in it.
So there are people who should argue that you should never use that statute because it would become like the Official Secrets Act.
I don't buy that theory, but I do know you should be very careful in applying that law because there are a lot of interests that could be implicated in making sure that you picked the right case to charge that statute.
_________________
From transcript: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/28/politics/28text-fitz.html?pagewanted=all
Thanks Fe, the question is interesting-- maybe we will get more about who are the people afraid our law will revert into UK law, why-- what is the actual concern?
ie, How would we have justice about outing a covert agent if people are afraid to use the law?
*******
Lou Dobbs is about to have a segment on Bush admin tactics when under fire. Could be very interesting.
ie, How would we have justice about outing a covert agent if people are afraid to use the law?
Posted by: aimzzz at October 28, 2005 06:04 PM
I think, and I could be reading his reponse wrong, it that Fitzgerald's response referencing the Official Secrets Acts goes back to the heart of WHY the agent was exposed, not whether or not a law, any law regarding exposing state secrets was violated.
Of course George Bush thinks it is a sad day for America. It is a sad day for his America, an America that believes cheating, lying and breaking laws are needed in order to convince people of their agenda.
It is a good day for Americans that believe in the rule of law.
To me the saddest part of today is the reminder that our America is ruled by a group of idealogues who will do anything, including treason, in order to help their corporate friends.
Fitzgerald said that the investigation was not over - I believe that it's FAR from over. I would look toward papers for Rove and maybe Cheney real soon. I think the one who I would like to see get served was too distant on this one - but his day will come soon enough - this White House of cards is about to tumble.
oncall knows
aka I feel yer pain
FROM TPM-Not very comforting for members of either party on the SSIC:
This afternoon Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV), ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, put out the following statement ...
“It is a terrible day for all Americans when a top White House official is accused of lying and obstructing justice, made all the worse when it’s about a national security matter.
“Revealing the identity of a covert agent is the type of leak that gets people killed. Not only does it end the person’s career, and whatever assignments they may have been working on, it puts that person in grave personal danger as well as their colleagues and all the people they have had contact with over the years.
“These very serious charges go to the heart of whether administration officials misused intelligence by disclosing an undercover CIA agent. They also heighten concerns that the administration engaged in a pattern of misusing intelligence to make the case for going to war with Iraq.
“To date, Congress has completely failed to answer these critical questions. The fact is that at any time the Senate Intelligence Committee pursued a line of questioning that brought us close to the White House, our efforts were thwarted. If my Republican colleagues are not prepared to undertake a full and serious congressional investigation into the potential misuse of intelligence, then I regretfully conclude that we have no choice but to pursue an outside independent investigation. The American people deserve answers and they want the truth.”
“We must send a strong message to all the patriotic Americans in our intelligence agencies who continue to serve their country at great personal risk. Our government and our judicial system will not tolerate those who leak classified information and put the lives of others at risk.”
It's a strong statement. And the Congress has completely failed in its oversight responsibilities in this whole matter. But the question can't be avoided.
If that's all true, why did he and fellow Democrats on the intel committee sign off on last year's report?
Why has he said so little this year about the failure to pursue the promised second phase of the Senate investigation, which was supposed to look into the question of executive branch manipulation of WMD intelligence?
Why has he remained silent in the face of evidence, put before him more than a year ago, that the FBI investigation into the forgeries, which he himself requested, has never been pursued in earnest?
Accountability for the Congress's failure to pursue its oversight responsibilities in this case does not end on the Republican side of the aisle. Nor does it end with Rockefeller. He's the ranking member of the committee, with unique access and power. But he's not the only Democrat on the committee. Why stand up now when they didn't stand up before? The Republicans' behavior at least has the logic of self-interest behind it. That of the Democrats' is inscrutable.
BTW, anyone 55 years old who is still called "Scooter" deserves to be indicted...
he says we'll never get to the bottom of WHY they needed to silence Joe Wilson.
Posted by: Amy at October 28, 2005 05:33 PM
Amy,
Show your husband this excerpt from Fitzgerald's press conference. I think he is trying to get to the Why.
Fitzgerald:
Let me then ask your next question: Well, why is this a leak investigation that doesn't result in a charge? I've been trying to think about how to explain this, so let me try. I know baseball analogies are the fad these days. Let me try something.
If you saw a baseball game and you saw a pitcher wind up and throw a fastball and hit a batter right smack in the head, and it really, really hurt them, you'd want to know why the pitcher did that. And you'd wonder whether or not the person just reared back and decided, I've got bad blood with this batter. He hit two home runs off me. I'm just going to hit him in the head as hard as I can.
You also might wonder whether or not the pitcher just let go of the ball or his foot slipped, and he had no idea to throw the ball anywhere near the batter's head. And there's lots of shades of gray in between.
You might learn that you wanted to hit the batter in the back and it hit him in the head because he moved. You might want to throw it under his chin, but it ended up hitting him on the head.
And what you'd want to do is have as much information as you could. You'd want to know: What happened in the dugout? Was this guy complaining about the person he threw at? Did he talk to anyone else? What was he thinking? How does he react? All those things you'd want to know.
And then you'd make a decision as to whether this person should be banned from baseball, whether they should be suspended, whether you should do nothing at all and just say, Hey, the person threw a bad pitch. Get over it.
In this case, it's a lot more serious than baseball. And the damage wasn't to one person. It wasn't just Valerie Wilson. It was done to all of us."
Hello all,
Sitting in a Starbuck's in Yuba City CA, reading about the day and the questions left unanswered.
I agree with everyone who wrote that this is not over yet.
There are more things coming in the mail for this Fitzmas Celebration. The good news is that FitzSanta is making his list and checking it more than twice.
It is a sad day for our country's moment of truth. It is a good day when men of truth and justice can do it right.
A little Friday evening haiku:
Patrick Fitzgerald
A fine man, searching for truth
Scooter - he is toast.
Karl Rove (Turd Blossom)
Breathing a sigh of releif
Just wait, "Bush's brain".
The big Dick Cheney
holds his breath day after day
he's in deep doo doo.
Oh look, it's Georgie
soon he will be all alone
House of cards, crumbled.
And look, there is God
brushing the dirt off his hands
good wins over evil.
James Carafano, an expert on national security at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, predicts that Libby's absence won't alter the thrust of the administration's foreign policy. It has always been the vice president, not his staff, leading the way, he says.
"It's like there were two Cheneys," he says, "and now there will be one."
________________________________
Analysis: Ultimate insider meets ultimate defeat
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-10-28-libby-analysis_x.htm
Right now, I am listening to the tape delayed broadcast of Fitzgerald's news conference. He clearly implies that the investigation is incomplete. It is true he hasn't discovered whom the source is. Damn it, I want to know and bring to justice whomever is responsible for revealing Valerie Plame as a CIA agent. Wasn't that what this was all about anyway? We can't be satisfied with this indictment against a fall guy. I am not trivializing the serious charges against Libby, but we have to keep on demanding the truth. If this stops here, Bushco will have gotten what they wanted.
Join us in the irc for Friday night analysis...
I just spent the last hour watching Fitzgerald on CSPAN and I have to admit I was really proud to be a lawyer when I heard his answers. No, I did not get the answers I wanted about Rove or Cheney,or the future of the Grand Jury, but Fitzgerald was doing exactly what he was charged to do, prosecute not speculate or opine or disclose the sacred secrecy of the Grand Jury. What a mentsch.
As I watched I kept seeing images in my head of Kenneth Starr and visualizing what he would have said today if the tables were turned. I am sure he would have spewed every diatribe every disclosure he felt he could get away with, but no not Fitzgerald. As much as reporters pushed he would not bend and did exactly what every resonsible prosecutor would do in the situation, answer only what was in the 4 corners of the indictment and nothing else.
Other thoughts: Is Fitzgerald hoping Libby turns state's evidence and implicates either Rove or Cheney in a plea bargain deal?
I had an interesting question to my wife that I pose here. If Libby shoulod strike a deal would you give him a free pass and secondly if he were to implicate any one person who most would I want that to be.
My answer: Yes and hell yes; and secondly Rove over Cheney without any second guessing and no Bush is not the correct answer to my querrie.
This was a great day for The Rule of Law.
My guess is that the Whitehouse does not want this case tried because the testimony that would come out at trial would destroy both Cheney and Rove and any chance the RNC has next November so perhaps there is even a greater chance of a deal to take down either Cheney or Rove is still there to be had.
Roses are red...
Violets are blue...
Treason is afoot...
And treachery, too.
Ira rove is giving up CHENEY
Christy how do you know that and if true who will Libby give up to avoid a potential 30 year prison sentence?
I KNEW I heard bush get heckled today during his speech
Bush heckled during terror speech
At a turbulent point in his presidency, US President Bush has sought to bolster public backing for his war policies, just days after the US death toll in Iraq surpassed 2,000.
"We will never back down, we will never give in and we will never accept anything less than complete victory," the president said.
Bush spoke to an audience largely made up of uniformed service members, delivering a speech which was one of several he has given recently to defend his war policies.
It was nearly the same as the one he delivered recently in Washington.
Outside the Norfolk convention hall, a small group of anti-war protesters greeted him by chanting "Bush lies."
Inside, as the president spoke, a man on the second level interrupted him, yelling "War is terrorism. War is terrorism. Step down now Mr President. Torture is terrorism."
Bush continued speaking as the man left the hall.
Mindful of the public anxiety, the president attempted to underscore the danger the United States faces from terrorists, comparing leaders of al Qaida
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2161102005
Rove can only offer Fitzgeral one of two things...
Cheney..
Or Bush...
they will sandbag cheney and blame the entire war on him..georgie was out riding a bike and reading my pet goat
Everyone keeps expecting folks to fall on a sword and take one for the team.. it aint gonna happen..
Again.. WHO would you take a charge of TREASON for..??
And remember the underlying crime that is STILL unresolved .. the technical term for it is no less than TREASON.
THAT is why the lies, they have betrayed our nation and illegally invaded another nation
IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, NOT A MISTAKE, NOT ABOUT MISSPEAKS OR MISLEADS..
IT WAS BLOODY TREASON.
I'm glad they got Libby.
He has been in the shadows, influencing our foreign policy since Reagan & is a true neocon.
He took courses from Wolfowitz and is a proud
signer of the mission statement of http://www.newamericancentury.org
I only wish there was a way to get Richard Perle and Elliot Abrams out of the government. (Perle is now "shadow"). & just think - Abrams should be nowhere near the White House after his role in Iran Contra.
Watch out - Libby may eventually make it back.
I wish the entire Office of Special Plans wouuld get expossed but good, & that Colin Powell & all of his staff at the state department would tell everything they know. Powell was unable to do his job because of damage control and was forced to spout lies (not that he couldn't have refused but he'd have had to resign).
Appeciated hearing Richard C. Clarke on NPR two nights ago. Tonight even my nemesis David Brooks was talking like this administration has blown it & is going down.
Christy
It was treason but it was also always the stated mission of the New American Century type of foreign policy. They wrote a capacity for pre-emptive war and empire into our defense policy revision that they do every ten years. Bush's first act was to increase Executive branch power and to seal Presidential records including of past presidents, including his dad & Reagan.
I'm convinced this goes back to them and that the neocons were operating as a "shadow government" while Clinton was in.
Read more on Perle, who is seldom before the public because he operates as a "shadow" puppeteer. These people watch Fox so I don't have to. Here Perle "interprets" one of Bush's recent "terra" speeches and revises history as well.
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/10/06/richard_perle_rewrites_recent_history.php
Remember - neocons' goal is to take over the world, and 9/11 was their excuse.
I consider Perle one of the most dangerous of the neocons, but this could be Libby too. Perle will probably stay free because he "resigned" and is usually at his place in the south of France but make no mistake, he runs things! (it's from a comment on the site I just linked to)
Richard Perle, neocon guru, a disciple of Leo Strauss who cited the need to conceal the truth from the masses (same thing Hitler said - famous quote, "Isn't it wonderful for governments that the masses do not think".) Perle, like Douglas Feith, a former arms dealer for Israel, 'book lernin' brilliant but with zero 'street smarts' who like most of the neocons avoided military service, has never seen a high cost weapon or missile defense system the did not like, or an arms limitation treaty they did not oppose. A Pearl quote to British journalist John Pilger, four months before 9-11, "No stages, this is total war. We are fighting a variety of enemies. There are lots of them out there. All this talk about first we're going to do Afghanistan, then we will do Iraq, this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. If we just let our vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely and we don't try to piece together clever diplomacy, but just wage a total war, our children will sing great songs about us years from now." This from a man who had the ear of Bush, before 9-11. Pearl, who along with the architect of PNAC, Paul Wolfowitz, the author of the PNAC document, who is now rewarded with the same job given McNamara after Vietnam, President of the World Bank. They are immune from accountability or embarrassment and sit in their ivory towers looking down on the "unthinking masses", as did Hitler and Himmler. Ye shall know them by their works. They were wrong in the 70's when they disparaged the CIA because it's Vietnam intel reports didn't see, "the light at the end of the tunnel', wrong in the mid-70's when Wolfowitz's Team B of the strategic Objectives Panel said the Soviet Union was an expanding threat, when it was imploding. Wrong in the 80's when they filtered out CIA intel indicating the Soviet demise and pushed him to spen the peace dividend, a trillion dollars on high tech, unneeded weapons systems. Wrong in 95, when they said a nuclear missile threat was only 5 years away, when CIA intel said that a nuclear missile threat was 15+ years away. Wrong in 2001, when the obsessed over Saddam and let Osama disappear after Clinton said he was the biggest threat. How many "wrongs" does it take for them to get it right? What "unthinking" bubblebrain would still be listening to these arrogant "eggheaded" neocons? What, Me worry? So Pearl, the arms dealer, is the "Pearl" of wisdom to lead this country through this mess, NOT!
It was too rainy for me to go to the Indictment Party (traffic jam too) but Congressman McDermott is supposed to be giving a toast!
Anyway, Sterling Newberry said this on the "Why" and it's good.
And we still do not know why. Fitzgerald has answered key questions, he has established that the story told by right-wing spin sources is, and always was, a complete fabrication meant to deflect criminal charges away from the guilty. It establishes that Libby engaged in a two-year-long criminal campaign to conceal evidence of his actions, and blame others. It reveals that numerous other people in the executive branch, including Vice President Cheney, knew that he was lying to law enforcement officials and to the grand jury to protect himself.
Which leads to another question: Why did they tolerate this, knowing, as they did, from before the investigation, that Libby knew Plame's identity, that he had obtained that information through official channels, that he had acted on that information in an official capacity, and that he had revealed that information to reporters?
Already, Rep. Waxman has called for renewed hearings on the matter in Congress. Already there have been statements from Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts on the gravity of this indictment. However, the opposition party in Congress has neither power to hold hearings officially, nor to subpoena witnesses and material.
Some questions cannot be answered by the Justice Department, but take the wide-ranging power of Congress, in its constitutionally-mandated duty, to oversee the executive branch. And it is up to the public whether a Congress of the same party as the President has been sufficiently attentive to that duty. This is a question that is not to be answered under the rules of criminal procedure, but through the ebb and flow of politics - a politics which Libby and others inside the executive branch acted to corrupt, and which is now turning upon them.
Diane: You have magically found the key to the '06 election:
"And it is up to the public whether a Congress of the same party as the President has been sufficiently attentive to that duty. "
Can we trust this country to one party rule?
There are absolutely no checks or balances left in our government.
Posted by: Christy at October 28, 2005 10:25 PM
Christy,
Libby has already fallen on the sword. He will be willing to let it go in deeper. He is a committed Bushco wingnut. He is a lawyer who understands that his career is finished. He has nothing left to fight for. He will take it for the team, because he already has, and he doesn't care how badly it will effect him.
It's not like he would ever have to work again...
(Libby)
Christy -
I think it's better that this is dragged out as long as possible. Right into the midterms. Plus, it's getting the MSM talking about the rationale for us going into Iraq in the first place. We just a beginning a national conversation we shold have had three years ago. Be patient.
BTW...For those who've asked how us Florida folk are doing, I live in central Florida and we are fine. We just got a little wind and rain. However, I feel sorry for those in S. Fla. they really got knocked around.
hi florida dem! Glad you're OK
Posted by: aimzzz at October 28, 2005 11:25 PM
That is true Aimzzz. I imagine, he has all the money he could ever possibly need. He knows he is finished and he doens't care. As long as he can help the neoCons obtain their goals he will do anything. He knows he is as good as forgotten. He has nothing left except his pathologic drive to pursue the agenda of the new american century.
I'm with Florida_Dem. We need to be patient and dogged and just keep tugging at all those strings. The Libby trial is a great parable for so much that is wrong and will end up illuminating no end of other malicious acts and patterns of behavior. But we can't expect legal proceedings to do more than they can actually do in and of themselves. The rest is up to the democratic process.
Chuck in Houston turning in...
Listened to one program tonight where a 'concerned' rep made this statement:" If this were last year or next year we'd be in big trouble,however the dems are brain dead and we have time."
Notice how the talking points already by the reps are coming fast:"everyone is innocent until proven guilty."
Dreier on CNN with Boxer tried to change the subect and got called on it.
Notice what cowards B/C continue to be hiding behind the war on terror and our troops today while we had 5 more fallen??
It's in the regime's interest to make sure there's no trial. It's very likely he will cop a plea.
Hi aimzzz!
I read tonite that the only reason Rove didn’t get indicted today was because he gave some convenient “new” last minute diversionary information that the FBI has to check out before he gets Fitzed too. Okay, that’s not word for word what I read but it’s the gist.
Here are the concerns my husband and I were mulling over - Fitzgerald (bless that man) said that his investigation was NOT about the war at all. It is exclusively about whether or not, in the leaking of a CIA operative's name to the public, a crime was committed, and if so, who committed that crime.
Second, I saw some guy named Snow (very appropriate name) on Maher tonight. He was doing the usual Republican shouting down thing, tho with more suave and charm than an O'Reilly or Hannity could achieve, and he was repeating that Libby was indicted for "talking to reporters." (Get ready folks, we're going to need waders.) He was eventually corrected when he finally shut up, but he shouted over the correction. He slipped that talking point in several times through the show. Smooth operator, that one.
"Talking to reporters." That's what they've reduced it to. And he said this with such authority, even said "I read the indictments" ie, I know what I'm talking about, you folks don't. I think this guy is on Faux news or something.
The concern is that Dems and unbiased news people won't be ready for this sh*t and will stare open-mouthed when the neocon pundits spew it out. Note to all Dems and unbiased pundits (are there any?) - memorize Fitzgerald's press conference. He's the prosecutor, he's the lawyer. He knows what he's talking about. Memorize his words. He was VERY clear. (Wasn't that refreshing? Only Obama speaks as clearly and directly in interviews.)
We need a concerted effort by our Dems and our own media people to continuously list the names of all the people that this administration has attacked, or who have been the victim of their revenge. For the purposes of the 06 elections, we really need to expose the vile heart of this present Republican party, so that Americans can make informed choices when they go to the polls.
This is an reckless, aggressive group of men who choose (and even orchestrate) war over wise diplomacy, and place the interests of wealthy corporate shareholders over the interests of average Americans. They attack and destroy anyone who questions the wisdom of their choices, or has the courage to speak out with a different perspective. They have made every effort to destroy the traditional dialogue of shared ideas and compromise that has been the hallmark of our democracy. Our pain, our divisions, our separateness, our anger at each other, our hatred of each other was deliberately conceived and made manifest, and by their hand. It is time that America understood this.
Let me say goodnight with a reminder that during the 04 campaign, I frequently shared my contention that it will be the lawyers and the young people in this country who will save us.
In that sense, today is a great beginning. God - Allah, Jehova, Isis, Astarte, Yoni, Mother Earth, The Force, Zeus - God bless America.
The dirty laundry of the WH is now exposed on foreign news and the big washing has started.
Besides papers, TV has been unveiling the face and deeds of Scooter Libby. I must confess I had no idea of what the guy looked like, but he was shown always in the back of the picture, which sounds normal for a guy in the shadow. We also had a long excerpt of Fitzgerald's statements on the evening news...
I don't think mainstream people abroad have the same perception as you do, and realize what is going on, or how big the thing is. They never understood very well the neocon doctrine, but as long it's bad for Bush it looks good for us. We are just waiting for more bad news about him.
Libération wrote this morning "Sale temps pour Bush" (Bad weather for Bush) that gives you an idea of the general feeling. It is a very good rather lefty, intellectual paper..;so for those who can read French, here it is.
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=334742
Amy,
Did you get my mail?
New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Leaker! The man
they call Bush's Brain
BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
and RICHARD SISK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Friday, October 28th, 2005
WASHINGTON - White House political director Karl Rove was identified yesterday as the shadowy official who blew the cover of CIA agent Valerie Plame.
Rove, dubbed "Bush's Brain" for his political genius, was not indicted for his role in the leak and subsequent coverup.
Instead, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald indicted Vice President Cheney's chief of staff Lewis (Scooter) Libby on five counts of lying to federal officials and a grand jury.
The closest Fitzgerald came to identifying the leaker is a press release that says "senior White House official ('Official A')" gave Plame's name to columnist Robert Novak, who promptly printed it.
At a news conference, Fitzgerald declined to name "Official A," but several sources close to the case told the Daily News it was Rove.
Both Rove and Libby had previously denied having any tie to the leak.
The 50-year-old Rove escaped charges for now.
Fitzgerald, however, warned that "it's not over." The prosecutor said Rove was still under investigation, and he could file charges with a new grand jury if more evidence emerges.
Rove's allies gauged that his legal liability was low after dodging the first indictment. "They're very pleased with where they are with the prosecutor now," one said.
Rove's lawyer Robert Luskin said, "We are confident that when the special counsel finishes his work, he will conclude that Mr. Rove has done nothing wrong."
The two-year saga began when former Ambassador Joseph Wilson publicly questioned the White House's justification for the Iraq war by challenging the claim that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had been shopping for uranium in Niger for a nuclear weapons program.
Wilson was dispatched by the CIA in 2002 to investigate the tip and reported back that the Niger connection was bogus. In a New York Times Op-Ed, Wilson disputed Cheney's claim that Saddam had been pursuing nuclear weapons, infuriating the White House.
Libby and others in the White House obsessed with finding out what they could about Wilson, quickly learned that he was married to CIA agent Plame and leaked her name to reporters, Fitzgerald said.
When pressed on why Official A wasn't identified, Fitzgerald said that criminal "intent" was difficult to prove under the laws on espionage and the disclosure of covert agents' names. "It would have been tough to know intent," said Fitzgerald, who made a tortured baseball analogy to knowing whether a pitcher's beanball was thrown deliberately.
Libby's indictment and the revelation of Rove's involvement capped what GOP operatives have called a "week from hell" for President Bush as he tried to salvage an administration in political and policy free fall.
Bush and Cheney quickly accepted Libby's resignation with regret, but Rove remained as deputy White House chief of staff to oversee the administration's attempts to move beyond the scandal.
The 2,000th U.S. death in Iraq was announced Tuesday, followed quickly by Bush's embarrassing withdrawal of the Supreme Court nomination of Texas pal Harriet Miers.
Although "saddened" by Libby's fall, Bush said: "I got a job to do, and so do the people who work in the White House. We got a job to protect the American people and pretty soon I'll be naming somebody to the Supreme Court."
Rove projected a what-me-worry confidence, as he has throughout the investigation.
"I'm going to have a great day and a fantastic weekend, and I hope you do, too," a smiling Rove told reporters yesterday.
With Thomas M. DeFrank
Here are the highlights of yesterday's events in Washington:
Lewis (Scooter) Libby resigned as Vice President Cheney's chief of staff after being indicted on charges of making false statements, perjury and obstructing a grand jury investigation in the alleged coverup of the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political guru, was not indicted, but sources said he was the shadowy "Official A" mentioned in the indictment who leaked Plame's name to the media after her husband criticized the administration's justification for going to war with Iraq.
President Bush praised Libby as someone who "worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people." Cheney called Libby "one of the most capable and talented individuals" he knows.
Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald said there may be more to come in the investigation. "It's not over," he said.
When I said "main stream people don't get it" I was right. On 1 a.m news the Libby's indictment opened the news, and the presenter had André Caspi, specialist of America, professor at la Sorbonne, and writer explaining to listeners what was going on and what the consequences of that indicment might be. Libby was called "a fuse" in the WH box and Caspi explained that other fuses might blow up.
That's the way your domestic troubles can be explained abroad.
Libby is named after "Lewis Libby", not "Scooter". No one would understand how a guy with such a phony name could have reached to such a high job. it makes him looking stupid at once.
About Tom DeLay and our pronunciation of it, it turns into Tom "OfMilk". Not very serious looking either though the guy is nothing but sour milk!!!!!
Tom de Lait!! They all look corn-fed to me, like pigs. It's embarrassing to think that they're on tv in other countries.
"Scooter" Libby (in US, a scooter is one of those things that Bush fell off, isn't it?) - our media said his dad gave him that name when he was a baby. There is no way to make a neocon cute.
Patti F
"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty," Cheney and his gang say? Why do they use a double standard for illegal detainees at Guantanamo?! Aren't those human beings?
That explains why Cheney has a boss who would veto a law outlawing torture and would refuse to join an international war crimes court. Criminal minds.
Diane: You have magically found the key to the '06 election:
"And it is up to the public whether a Congress of the same party as the President has been sufficiently attentive to that duty. "
Can we trust this country to one party rule?
There are absolutely no checks or balances left in our government.
Posted by: Ira at October 28, 2005 10:58 PM
Ira
This is what I received via email today & am sending around.
Today was an important day in America. We again saw that the rule of law is critical for a functioning democracy to succeed. We saw that
pursuit of the truth can be as important as the truth itself. Yet, we still don't know who is guilty of releasing the name of a CIA agent whose confidentiality has been compromised. Was the investigation successful? No it wasn't, as an administration loyalist and operative was willing to lie in order to thwart the investigation. At this time, it is imperative for our Congress to help uncover who released Valerie Plame's name. Is it possible for a Republican Congress to
investigate a Republican administration? Right now the answer is, no.
Do Republican's respect truth and the rule of law? Most do and want to be sure that no crimes were committed. It is important to remember that it was the CIA who requested the investigation and not the Democratic party. Truth is nonpartisan and we have to demand that our leaders pursue the truth. No matter your political persuasion, ask your congressman/woman and Senator to demand truth. If they can't do it, vote them out of office.
DiAnne,
Why embarassing? We are just reported and explained about the WH stinky practices. Now, I'm just waiting for an "in depth" talk show or documentary about the Rotten House.
What we saw was just part of foreign news, except we dedicate much more time to it that you do in US. We don't have that " we and the world" stuff, each country is treated separately and according to its latest news, and it represents 1/3rd of current news.
Andree,
It's embarrassing because people may think more of us support these people than actually do, given the way our media downplays things & the fact that one party controls all 3 branches of government (and the press). We have some opposition, yes, and we still have some laws (if those in power would follow them).
Yesterday at work, people started to complain about poor people who try to get extra holiday food baskets and boy did I let them have it about who the real criminals are!
Libby hasnt fallen on any sword...
If your choices were...
Perjury or TREASON, which would you rather be charged with?
If your charges were a choice of obstucting or..well, TREASON, what would you let yourself get charged with?
Libby hasn't fallen on ANY sword yet. WHY..?
Because he is guilty of treason, and so are those above him. cWhen they get around to charging people with it, he has no comfort in trying to give up others because regardless of his excuses he is just as guilty as they are.
Right now its everyone for themself in the WH. ONLY rove may try to keep bush out of it but ONLY because its in his best intrest of self preservation.. And the only way rove CAN protect bush.. is to throw cheney to the lions.
DiAnne,
You have to remember that we know very little about your domestic policies (diplomacy = no intruding). After the last elections we just thought Americans had gone crazy, but that didn't prevent us from clinging to the only America we believe in, the Democrat one.
So, our way of thinking is rather the following : how are Dems going to use the big sh$t Bush is in now? How are they going to fight, media coverage or not? How does the silent majority feels? To make it short, WHERE IS THE OPPOSITION POLITICAL LINE?
What are your guys doing up there? When will they take the highway in front of them?
That's the way all the comments end up in my country.
Andree,
I think that's the same way we're looking at it here! It's like we've been invaded by an internal force! The problem is with all the obstacles such as cheating voting machines, redistricting and controlled, lazy or chicken media. We have to find a way through all of that. Way past the majority of Americans, both parties, think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
http://www.pollingreport.com usually has it.
Posted by: oncall at October 28, 2005 06:42 PM
You know, I think about this part too.
But then I also think that people like that have always been with us, and will always be with us. People like Patrick Fitzgerald will never be short of work.
BUT, then I think about Pat Fitzgerald and his team of about 300 people. And I think that there will always people like this around us too.
You know, at times like this, I also think about what John Edwards always said at the end of his speeches. And I choose to be inspired by the like of Pat Fitzgerald, if for no other reason than I refuse to surrender my real estate in my head to the likes of the neocons.
Well here is local. & I have to get my butt out of my house & walk precincts to get out the vote for people who don't usually vote in smaller elections. A wingnut is challenging this pretty cool African-American guy who run for Governor in the primaries & lost to Gregoire. The office is King Country Commissioner. We need to keep Seattle blue!
This is what we need to do (from a local group organizing email):
By now you've read about it. In thinking about all that is going on with this administration, we stand even closer to a scandal far worse than Clinton's and a war that now claims over 2000 US soldiers dead. We should also count the thousands of Iraqi citizens that also lost their lives.
One really wonders how they will change things, make a difference. There are actions going on with Washington State that clearly show movement in the right direction. Washington Grassroots are forming as we speak. We have a choice. All of us. Our own group is hard at work on SeattleVoice.org. There are lots of groups out there making a difference, taking an action, getting involved. All our members in Congress should take note of the action. The national leaders need to step up, step into the spotlight, focus and lead.
I look forward to the next 2 months and the new year. It is a crossroad. Let's walk together.
Here are some new terms to learn on a Saturday morning (courtesy of DU):
Rove Rage: The act of being pissed off before you can be pissed on.
Miller-Culpa: Lying about lying to make previous lying seem less substantial.
Scootering: Taking a grudge as far as constitutionally possible, and then just a little farther.
Kellerism: Claiming to have been blindsided by an event only a blind man could not have seen. See also: Miller-Culpa.
Fristianity: Making a religion of deliberate analytical errors, induced by presidential aspirations and a desire to be Dobsoned.
Delayed: Just f**ked.
Exspecterate: To orally reject an unqualified Supreme Court nominee by a president of your own party.
Condying: Never being held responsible for anything. And making sure your husband isn't either.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/blogbox/05/038.html
On the serious side, here are right-wing myths they'll spin this weekend along with the facts, from Think Progress...definitely worth bookmarking/printing out because you know they're not going to stop the spinning...
Right-Wing Myths About The Leak Investigation
http://www.thinkprogress.org/leak-rebuttal
~ snip
memorize Fitzgerald's press conference
~ snip
In that sense, today is a great beginning. God - Allah, Jehova, Isis, Astarte, Yoni, Mother Earth, The Force, Zeus - God bless America.
Posted by: Amy at October 29, 2005 04:00 AM
Amy, I think you have a good point there. I plan on having the text with me in either my purse or briefcase.
The plain simple truth is Libby got indicted for lying. LYING! If there was nothing to cover up, and no dark secrets to guard, WHY would he have lied? MOST people would think of that, but, well, the wingnuts and neocon worshippers have watched a war go on endlessly without more than one unit being trained to take over for our forces, and still go "yay freedom".
My talking point is going to be he lied. Period. To the Grand Jury. To the Prosecutor. Then I throw in if there was nothing to hide regarding the Plame leak why did he lie? Then
I tell them why I think he lied. Ummn Sweet.
I have deserved to watch them squirm. Schadenfreude upon schadenfreude.
Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at October 29, 2005 11:38 AM
Be careful with the lying meme. "They" will say that Clinton lied too. The fact is that count 1 of Libby's indictment is for obstruction of justice...the method he used to obstruct justice is lying.
This about more than lying. This is about obstructing a federal investigation into whether our national security was compromised, in what manner, by whom, and why.
Fitzgerald's baseball analogy: Libby is/was the sand in the umpire's face. The indictment is Fitzgerald removing the sand so that he can ascertain the play, i.e., continue the investigation with unobstructed vision.
Some GOP loyalists dismissed yesterday's indictment as a blip that will quickly be forgotten. "If we are going to reach conclusions about stains on the presidency, let's wait until he's [Libby] convicted," said veteran GOP strategist Charles R. Black. Calling Bush's administration "remarkably clean," he added: "The amazing thing is that they went almost five years without having any kind of scandal."
GOP allies of the White House moved yesterday to insulate the president from the fallout of the Libby indictment by contrasting yesterday's action with previous White House scandals such as the Iran-contra affair that hit Ronald Reagan in his second term or the Monica S. Lewinsky episode that led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment.
"They all involved the president," said veteran GOP strategist Ron Kaufman. "This involves staff." Bill Paxon, a Republican former congressman from New York, said, "There is no one suggesting that this Oval Office occupant has anything to do with this matter."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/28/AR2005102802150_pf.html
Rove Rage!
Fristianity!
When I was trying to think of Indictment Drinks, I hoped no one would come up with the Turdblossom and certainly not the recipe!