Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald’s criminal indictment Friday of Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the vice president’s chief of staff, adds to a deepening crisis of confidence in the White House.
Libby is charged with several counts, including obstruction of justice and perjury, for statements regarding how he learned that Iraq war critic Joseph Wilson’s wife was a CIA operative.
This is not a small, technical offense. As Fitzgerald said, “compromising national security information is a very serious matter.” What the indictment of such a high government official also shows, as Fitzgerald said, was that “all citizens are bound by the law.”
Whatever political differences are behind this controversy, that fact is indisputable. What kind of fallout this will have for the administration is uncertain. Even if others haven’t been charged with criminal wrongdoing, questions remain about whether top White House officials acted unethically against political opponents.
This is a bad day for President Bush and for the nation. But it’s reassuring that Libby’s alleged lies have been exposed.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Phantom on Open thread 11/22
- Phantom on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- Pleefer on Open thread 11/22
- Pleefer on Open thread 11/22
- cosmos_originally on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- Rage on Open thread 11/22
- Phantom on Health care reform would save state money
- Phantom on Health care reform would save state money
49 Comments
With a name like Scooter, maybe he can get a job on some after-school sitcom with guys like Geech and Boner!
So far we know his story conflicted with two NYT reporters.
So far we know he told the grand jury one thing while knowing that another was in fact true.
The whole world loves it when some vindictive big shot gets his for squashing the little guy. Especially when the little guy was just doing (the right thing) his job.
Didn’t think Randy would make any concession to Rove. Take too big a man to do that.
Clearly, Libby’s actions were much more than holding a different opinion than reporters. Fitzgerald had him nailed in no uncertain terms — check the transcript of his news conference. I can’t find one to link at this time, but I’m betting one will be available soon.
So far we know this whole scandal began in Cheney’s office.
How can Bush keep Rover close with this investigation ongoing.
I keep reminding myself your role is that of Opinion Editor, Randy. Everytime I read your pieces, I find myself saying (outloud at times), “who, what, when, where, how, why”. Then I remember you are not a reporter. As the Op Ed guy, it is because you say it is. Problem IS, some folks forget to distinguish opinion from fact. Just because you say it is, does not make it a fact. Besides, you seem to be glass half empty guy.
The glass half full guy says that the system works, and though we still have a Camelot expectation of our government officials (eventhough the original Camelot Kennedy clan is far from the purety of Camelot), our form of justice is a whole helluva lot better than any other country.
“compromising national security information is a very serious matter.”
Could he have expanded on this a bit?
Below is a link to a transcript of Fitzgerald’s press conference. Patrick, the unaffiliated voter, did his homework.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/28/AR2005102801340.html
Why this hurts Bush–
1. Bush’s original popularity was his trustworthiness. He’s a plain speaker, he doesn’t mince words, he says what he means, etc. etc.
Now we see that he’s surrounded himself with people who are willing to lie, and not only lie, but lie to smear others who tell the truth.
2. It goes to his ability to control his own people. If he knew that Libby was smearing Plame as payback for Wilson, why didn’t he have the integrity to do something about it?
If he DIDN’T know, then why didn’t he know? The president’s people don’t tell him what is going on? He doesn’t WANT to know about illegal acts?
If he didn’t know, he’s a bad leader and his people are out of control.
Slowly, the sheeple wake up as from a long sleep and see the reality of the manner of men who are running this country.
Not pretty.
Galahad
By “lie to smear others who tell the truth” what exactly do you mean?
Scooter as we all know will bet a presidential pardon. When Gw leaves the oval office he will let scooter out with full retirement benefits. Similar to Ford pardoning Nixon!!!!
Next Rove is safe. The plan was to contain damage to our elder VP. The plan is next week Americans will forget about why this happened anyway. What CIA leak? What false war?
GW and his staff are experts in teflon coatings …… no matter how wrong ….. they are untouchable. Scooter too the near term hit saving the whole stack of cards!
The American way, Safe at home …. in the white house! We all live hapily ever after!
Thanks GWI deserved a pardon tooSigned … Martha!
We hold the law in America high. We want to make sure our law is the most valuable anywhere on earth. That way our legal system will remain the best money can buy!Not all can afford it. But, to be able to walk around it – is priceless!
Thanks Amerikuns
G.W.
In a year from now, Scooter will be hosting a talk-radio program wherein he will advise callers to aim for the head of the special prosecutor/FBI personnel. But he will be very polite when he says things like this.
If the charges prove true Libby was just stupid. What kind of trouble could he have been in if he’d played it straight?
That said, its time for a reality check.
Joe Wilson said publicly that Cheney’s office sent him to Niger. That was a lie.
Joe Wilson said publicly that his wife played no part in having him sent to Niger. That was a lie.
Joe Wilson said that according to what he learned in Niger Saddam had not tried to buy uranium from them. The CIA debriefers who took his oral report said that according to his report to them Saddam may indeed have tried to buy uranium from Niger. (someone sold it to him, he had 500 tons of the stuff.)
Joe Wilson has told as many or more lies than Libby is accused of telling. He just didnt do it in front of a grand jury. Someone explain to me why the press holds this man up as some paragon of virtue.
Heck,Don’t know if Wilson was portrayed as a “paragon of virtue” or not. But, there is this little thing about lying after one is put under oath — that makes Libby’s lying a particularly troublesome variety of lying.
What Libby did was give the FBI investigators a story that was believable — Patrick Fitzgerald said . . . “And to be frank, Mr. Libby gave the FBI a compelling story.”
I did not see the video, so I don’t know if Mr. Fitzgerald was winking when he in essence called Mr. Libby a good liar. Or, Fitzgerald was at least saying that libby got an A+ for coming up with good fiction. This should not be a surprise, Libby has written at least one spy novel; his thinking about the world seems to reflect that he believes some of his own fiction.
So, while Cheney sniffled and opined that Libby labored tirelessly for the U.S. of A., I am pretty sure we are better off today than we were yesterday.
Fact check. Wilson never said Cheney sent him to Niger. Prove me wrong. A quote from Wilson, not Fox news or Rush.http://mediamatters.org/items/200510280010
More fact check. Wilson’s wife didn’t play a part in sending Wilson to Niger. Again, prove me wrong.http://mediamatters.org/items/200510280009You republicans lie so fast and so often, it’s hard to keep up.
X, isn’t it a little hypocritical of you to post links to a left wing website as evidence and then challenge others to disprove your contention, but without using right leaning sources? As if your source is unbiased?
Dudley, You took the blog right out of my wireless laptop. That will teach me to read x posts while drinking coffee at Starbucks! I about spewed.
There is confusion about this, and the facts are not public yet. They will come out eventially, but only the radical left media deny that Plame sent her husband to Niger. See links below from Washington Post and the very liberal NPR. Now I know why xxx is so far off the left wing scale, he thinks Ted Kennedy is a conservative:) Think I’ll go spew now…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39834-2004Jul9.html
http://www.npr.org/documents/2005/oct/libby/libby_pr_28102005.pdf
Then prove I’m wrong, Dudley.
Joe? Heck? your credibility is shot. You aint even worth answering. Rush will be back Monday! He can tell you what to think……too bad for you I guess that Fitze’s press conference knocked him off the air. Let not your heart be troubled!
I like how this plays out! You right wingers ruined Clintons last 3 years with your Ken Starr naughty sex witch hunt. Now it’s YOUR turn.
Oh but YOU gotta justify a WAR and money spent on it and the attendant DEATH.
Let me help ya start to sweat! Who’s it gonna be next? Cheney? Rove? Rice? Rummy?
To the tune of “Dust in the Wind”
Twist in the wind, gonna watch bush twist in the wind gonna watch bush twist in the wind.
I feel better now. See, I told you I listen to NPR. I was listening to NPR and Fitzgerald’s report on my home from work tonight. After the gut-busting post by xxx, it occured to me that NPR might have a transcript of the Fitzgerald media release. And it did! Discount that, xxx. You are too funny! I can’t stop typing I’m laughing so hard. Starbucks is about to close, so I better stop. The help is wondering what I’m laughing so hard about.
JR,I had to IM Rush for my information. He was able to give me the info in the middle of his pain pill popping and cigar smoking sessions. Wouldn’t have a chance to think by myself w/o him. He also told me that mediamatters, moveon, and soros are radical left, as I would have never guessed it. Also something else about Airamerica not able to get a foothold because it’s easier to spread lies on cheap blogs like moveon than get advertisers that expect, oh I don’t know….FACTS!
I was typing so fast, I put JR inplace of ID.
Looks like the republican slime machine is running full tilt tonight. And ID, you spend a lot of time spewing….everytime you put some more of your false info on these pages.Looks like we’ll spend the rest of the night trading links. Of course, mine is a lot more current than yours.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=washingtonstory&sid=IJLNAY1A74EA
“The CIA has always said, however, that Plame’s superiors chose Wilson for the Niger trip and she only relayed their decision.”
“On another item of dispute — whether Vice President Cheney’s office inspired the Wilson trip to Niger — Wilson had said the CIA told him he was being sent to Niger so they could “provide a response to the vice president’s office,” which wanted more information on the report that Iraq was seeking uranium there. Tenet said the CIA’s counterproliferation experts sent Wilson “on their own initiative.”http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/24/AR2005102401690_pf.htmlNotice again, my info is more current. Id, Dudley, you two jerk-offs don’t know what you’re talking about.http://www.polianna.com/2005/07/22.LeakingKarl.shtml
“But Wilson never said that Cheney sent him to Niger. To support this accusation, the RNC had misrepresented his July 6, 2003, op-ed in the New York Times and distorted a remark he made in an August 3, 2003, interview on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Contrary to their allegation, Wilson clearly stated in the op-ed that “agency officials” had requested he travel to Niger. Further, in the CNN appearance, he stated it was “absolutely true” that Cheney was unaware he went on the trip.”
“Unnamed intelligence officials have been quoted in the media claiming that the CIA — not Plame — selected Wilson for the mission. Also, CIA officials have disputed the accuracy of a State Department intelligence memo that reportedly indicates that Plame “suggested” Wilson’s name for the trip.”http://www.rense.com/general68/thetop9plamegate.htm
http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2005/plame.html
http://pogblog.myblogsite.com/blog/_archives/2005/7/22/1063264.html
Almost busted a gut? Do the world a favor….try harder.
Italy has been publishing an ongoing story of how the Niger documents reached them and were given to us.
God help me my credibility has been proclaimed to be non-existent by JR and XXX. I’m crushed.
Are you guys just pure propogandists or do you actually believe the crap you spew?
Nothing will ever come of this, because to the holier-than-thou republican spin machine, no crime has been committed unless there was sex involved.
Heckler, I don’t believe I said anything about you. Now who’s spewing crap? You’re just another insignificant little piece of the republican attack and slime machine. And you support criminality in government. If the roles were reversed, you’d be all over this screaming for “justice”. You of all people have a lot of nerve calling anybody a “propogandist”.Now crawl back under your rock.
XXX
If you look back you will see that I said “If the charges prove true Libby was just stupid. What kind of trouble could he have been in if he’d played it straight?”
I make no excuses for Libby if he did commit a crime.
However, Joe Wilson has been publicly proven to be a liar and a political hack. You can’t disprove it so you might as well MOVEON.
This whole mess is the result of a tiff between the White House and the CIA. Joe Wilson was acting on behalf of some faction within the CIA trying to discredit the White House. Libby apperently got caught up in the politics of it and forgot where politics ends and the law begins.
Heckler, I need look no further than your post that said “God help me my credibility has been proclaimed to be non-existent by JR and XXX.”You’re welcome to your opinion, but don’t use me as your straw man.You have no fight with me until you pick one.
That said, lets “MOVEON” to your assertion that “Joe Wilson has been publicly proven to be a liar and a political hack.” You’re just quoting GOP talking points. Wilson never said he was sent to Niger by Cheney. Repeating it over and over doesn’t make it so. The CIA says the decision to sent Wilson to Niger was made above his wife’s position. On that point, somebody’s lying; either the CIA or the administration. Either answer isn’t good. But you’re comparing apples and oranges. If Wilson lied, he just lied. If Libby lied, he lied to a grand jury, and whether you like it or not; whether you agree with it or not, that’s a CRIME. Do you believe that committing a crime is ok if you’re a member of the proper political party? Do you think it’s ok to “out” a CIA agent to further the political agenda of YOUR political party?
Joe Wilson is a political hack? Well noshit Maynard! He’s a denizen of Washington DC. They’re ALL political hacks. What’s your point?
Agreed, the whole mess is the result of bad blood between the Whitehouse and the CIA. That doesn’t excuse stooping to criminality, does it? Libby did indeed forget where politics ends and law begins if the charges are proven. There seems to be a lot of that going on lately and we need to get to the bottom of it. The news is becoming a litany of crime and abuse of power in government. I don’t dispute for a minute that it goes on with both sides but the fact is, republicans are in power and when they commit a crime, it’s a big deal.
This investigation will be a constant source of embarrassment for the administration…they brought it on themselves through their dirty politics. Now I hope you’ll excuse me if I sit back and enjoy this as much as you and your friends enjoyed the Starr investigation a few years back.
XXX and others,
Here’s a nice link to a piece from a former Federal Prosecutor, who lays out what Fitzgerald is up to, what his responsibilities are, and what we should expect in the upcoming weeks, months, and years as this investigation continues.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=32241
What’s funny is that Chicken-hawk-in-Chief Rushbo actually tells his listeners that they listen because he has to tell them what to think.
For once, truth in advertising.
Nice find, CF. I especially liked this observation–
Bush said he “had no idea who the leaker was and didn’t know if we’d ever find out. “There’s a lot of senior officials [out there],” he commented. “You tell me,” he asked a group of reporters, “how many sources have you had that’s leaked information, that you’ve exposed, or had been exposed? Probably none.”
So were to believe that the man who could READ SADDAM HUSSEIN’S MIND and see whether he was going to attack us with his “tons and tons of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons” just can’t find out who leaked Valerie Plame’s name to the press.
Nope, that’s just too hard. We can invade and run a country a thousand miles away, but I just don’t have the power to find out who told the press something.
Our president, pathetic POS.
Hey did Rove get indicted? Naw, didn’t think so, either.
Thanks for providing an excellent and timely link, CF. It’s a harbringer of what’s to come. Meanwhile the republicans circle the wagons around their beleagered leader and roll out the big guns of sleaze politics. No matter what’s honest or true, conservatives will defend to the end a corrupt administration that is coming apart at the seams. The allegations of crime and cover up just keep coming. The indictment of Libby is just the beginning; it won’t stop now regardless of how much slime and spin republicans throw at it. Now we get to sit back and see just what kind of chickenshits most republicans really are. Each and every conservative on these threads will now stand up and defend crime in our government. Let the lying continue.
Am I the only one who finds Joe “Blow” a particularly fitting blog handle?
XXX, Yeah, Joe Blow sucks!What Libby did wasn’t confined to lying to the FBI and a grand jury; he named not only an undercover CIA agent, he also endangered any source who ever had contact with her. What greater gift could he bestow on our enemies? What he, as well as anyone else involved in this sorry episode did amounted to treason for political gain, and should be punished accordingly!
Jed, what I find most disturbing is that conservatives are prepared to circumvent the law and the welfare of our country to win their political point. Anything goes to maintain control, including the outing of a CIA agent with no thought or concern for the consequences. “The end justifies the means”. Where have we heard that before?
XXX
I never said Wilsons wife sent him on the trip to Niger. She RECOMMENDED him, its in writing, but probably not on a website I have access to.
XXX
NO ONE outed a CIA agent. Technically speaking the fact that she worked for CIA was a classified piece of information but in reality she worked openly at the Langley office, coming and going in broad daylight for any foreign intelligence agency to see. Wilson insinuated on numerous occasions that he was sent at the behest of Cheneys office. He said his wife had nothing to do with sending him. Well she recommended him, no the final decision was not hers, no one I’ve heard said she did. He claimed that he had reviewed the “forged documents” that turned up in Italy…a full 8 months before they turned up.
All of these things have been acknowledged as fact by none other than the Washington Post and New York times, hardly what you could call right wing rags, although they could be reffered to as rags.
Power corrupts! Or more accurately, power attracts the corruptible. The end, in this, and everything else this administration has done, is to hold on to that power, not for any ideological change, but just to have and wield it!
My God, Jed, we agree again!
Heckler, enough of the “I said, you said”. You jumped into the middle of another discussion That had nothing to do with what you said. Now whether it suits your purposes or not, reguardless of what the papers quote, the CIA says that Plame didn’t set up the trip and she didn’t recomend him. She was asked about his qualifications. What do you expect her to say? So far, all I can find in the Times and the Post about it are attributed to quotes of info from questionable sources (anything from this administration is questionable). Until you can find something that directly quotes a substantiative source, I question your information.
“NO ONE outed a CIA agent”Well someone thinks it happened or there wouldn’t be an investigation, would there? Or maybe you’re spliting hairs here and mean several in the administration outed her, and I won’t dissagree with that.
“Technically speaking the fact that she worked for CIA was a classified piece of information but in reality she worked openly at the Langley office, coming and going in broad daylight for any foreign intelligence agency to see.”
Um, her neighbors didn’t know she worked for the CIA. “Technically speaking”??? what are you? A seabag lawyer?
A question, Heckler…just yes or no. Is it ok to out a CIA agent?
Randy
A bad day for Bush is a good day for America.
Reverse whatever Bush has done, then take a hard look…….
Looks pretty good now doesn’t it.
Of the two links I gave, one was old and one was Friday’s press release. Like the spin-wannabe you are, you conveniently forgot to mention that, xxx. My point that the facts aren’t out yet, so we don’t know whether or not Plame sent her husband until it comes out in a court room under oath. Right? Just because the left-wing spin doctors say she doesn’t or the right-wing spin doctors say she did, doesn’t make it a fact. But, since you have the propensity to believe the left-propaganda w/o question, then I’m glad you are in Kansas where you get a different point of view. Believing that left wing crap can warp your mind.
“My point that the facts aren’t out yet, so we don’t know whether or not Plame sent her husband until it comes out in a court room under oath. Right?”
Wrong. The discussion issue that you butted into was:”Joe Wilson said publicly that Cheney’s office sent him to Niger. That was a lie.
Joe Wilson said publicly that his wife played no part in having him sent to Niger. That was a lie.”
Your link to the indictment of Libby didn’t address the issue at hand. You’d know that if you’d invest as much energy reading the posts as you do shooting your mouth off. You posted the link to back up Hecklers assertion quoted above.You’re wrong. You got a lot of nerve accusing anyone else of spin. Nice try, just not very bright.
Damoon,Gee, that’s twice now! See? It isn’t as difficult as you thought it would be.