Posted on 10/28/2005 12:22:42 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Newsweek magazine reporter Howard Fineman, who's been at the forefront of recent media speculation that top White House official Karl Rove would be indicted, has pronounced Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's decision to indict only Cheney aide Lewis Libby "a victory" for the Bush White House.
"Given the expectations that have evolved around here in the last week or so, if it turns out that this phase of the grand jury ends with only Scooter Libby being indicted," Fineman told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough last night, "that will be seen as almost be seen as a backwards kind of victory here."
Scarborough agreed, saying that the indictment of Libby without Rove would be, "a huge political win for the White House."
Fineman said Rove, not Libby, was Fitzgerald's "big fish."
"Karl Rove is a big national figure and as close to the president of the United States as you can get without being a member of the president`s family," he told Scarborough. "And so, politically, Karl Rove is the much bigger fish here."
I have no desire to aid Wilson. What I do have a desire to do is uphold the rule of law, lest the country degrade into mob-like status where whoever is in charge gets to make the rules. I couldn't be happier if it turns out Fitz is overreaching and Libby is vindicated. I realize that a grand jury only hears one side of the evidence, and so we don't really have a feel at this point what Libby's defense is.
So please don't presume I am trying to aid and abet Joe Wilson. I am just insisting that if Libby lied under oath, there needs to be a consequence.
Sure, there should be. But even if he is found guilty as charged on all five counts none of it has anything to do with attacking Joe Wilson so it is no presumption that you consider Joe Wilson someone to respect (your words) and defend (obvious logical extension of your remarks) having nothing to do with Libby's known or alleged (by the prosecutor) actions.
Sounds like we're in agreement then... I think.
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