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."
He also has to prove that Fitzgerald was claiming to be surprised by Russert's statement that she worked for the CIA, and not surprised by Russert's comment that all reporter's knew she did.
"During a conversation with Tim Russert of NBC News on July 10 or 11, 2003, 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 previously had learned about Wilson’s wife’s employment from the Vice President."
There probably is someplace where one can read exactly what Libby said, rather than the prosecutor's summation of what Libby said.
I meant "He also has to prove that Libby was..."
Libs all over the net see Libby as just the beginning. They are overjoyed. They see Bush doing a Nixonlike exit from the WH. They believe he is a fascist, a monster, the worst president in U.S. history.
"Nixonlike exit?"
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
If anything, they have forced Bush to push the Conservative agenda to throw them off the news cycle. The GOP train has no choice but to accelerate and roll right over them. They've forced his hand and now it's time to put our MAJORITY to good use.
Having read the indictment now I think it's pretty thin. Fitzgerald is skating on about 1/8" of ice IMO.
I did hear Schumer I think being a little too emphatic about Bush 'taking his time' for the next nomination.
It would utterly demoralize the Dems to lose big on a fight of huge subtance while they think they have all the momentum moving in their direction. Their momentum is like a slight breeze, while that of the conservatives is that of an ocean current. The former may grab your attention and change day by day, but the latter is far more significant, if less noticeable on the surface.
Rove is safe for now, but maybe not for long.
Peter Fitzgerald's day job is U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois. He has been rooting out political corruption in Illinois for a few years now and has been spectacularly successful. In the "Safe Roads" scandal, he started out with a truck driver and a entry-level clerk in a Secretary of State's Drivers facility in 1997. Sixty seven indictments and 59 convictions later (so far, that is), he has the ex-Governor of Illinois in the dock for racketeering and conspiracy. It's blown up the Illinois Reflublican party and is a major factor in why Barak Obama sits in the Senate.
More recently, he's started out with a few low level people and contractors in the City of Chicago, and is climbing the ladder. Daley is visibly sweating, saying he knew nothing about how people who supported his administration got sweetheart deals leasing trucks to the City. But more and more of his people are finding themselves answering subpoenas and looking at indictments. Stay tuned.
Fitzgerald is no hack. He is doing a fabulous job of cleaning the Augean stables of Illinois politics. He is feared in Springfield (the state capital) and in Chicago. I was against his appointment for this job because I was afraid it would interfere with his efforts in Illinois. didn't want him taken out of Illinois. Fitzgerald gets the bottom people first, convicts them, and them offers them a break if they turn in their bosses. You've seen it a million times on Law and Order, NYPD Blue, etc., etc. But he gets the documentation to back it up and make the witnesses credible. He gets convictions. Rove's legal troubles aren't over; they may be just beginning. Indicting, trying, and convicting someone like Libby first and going after the higher ups later is exactly his MO. It may take him 3 or 4 years to get to Rove's level, but he's go the patience.
If you want to look up what Peter Fitzgerald has been doing in Illinois, search on "Fitzgerald Safe Roads Illinois" and "Fitzgerald Hired Truck Illinois".
Are we hearing that Fitz was out to indict Rove...then he went to Rove's attorney and was given classified info regarding what was actually up with the CIA...so Fitz backed off...even though it's obvious from the news conference...he's biting at the bit to nail Rove...extremely troubling...Someone needs to can Fitz...he's rogue and is expanding something that's shouldn't be expanded...and he's NOT a friend to this administration.
The crime here has to do with the Wilsons'... why is nothing being done with this???
Well enlighten us.
not telling. and that's the point. Fitz has no way to tell if Russert or Cooper were honest with what they told him.
Don't for a minute put it past Cooper and Russert, and other media folks, to get together and get their stories in line with each other.....to cover their a--
If anything it appears that Libby lied to the "reporters" in an effort to deny them any confirmation, via the White House, about Plame's identity. His GJ testimony, quoted in the indictment, clearly demonstrates his intention and efforts to do this.
Thanks for the very detailed insight. I say put criminals in jail. But I sure as hell hope Rove is not a criminal. I hope the Bush White House is not a cesspool like Illinois politics.
It's a victorious battle for the MEDIA! They defined it, demanded a special prosecutor and worked overtime in their
normal lying mode to try to get what they wanted. so far they've not gotten Rove but hold on. We have got to figure some way to get the truth out after they spout their bile.
They've not got quite the power of a decade ago, but still are able to select the stories to make heroes of democRATs and defame conservatives.
A new Grand Jury would mean going over the whole case again so the new people could catch up. I don't think Fitzgerald is going to do that.
Re#70 Yep. Andrew McCarthy is on with Hugh Hewitt. AM spoke very highly of Fitz as also taking on terror, including the blind Sheik prosecutions, embassy bombings and indictment of Osama bin Laden. The guy is thorough and good. That said, Fitz's presser today was a bit over the top on the 'national security' angle. I'm still wondering why. Could he really give the CIA that much credence with all that is known about Wilson. Just doesn't figure...
Libby should demand an immediate trial, plead guilty and attest that he is the sole source in the White House of the information, and let Bush pardon him. That will get it over with quick and thwart the liberals. Everyone who counts will know that he is not guilty of a crime and he would be a hero in my book.
> During the press conference Fitzgerald refused to
> answer whether the Grand Jury refused to go along
> with other charges against other people.
I have a feeling that the swirling buzz of rumors around
Rove this week was Fitzy pressuring for a plea bargain,
and Rove calling his bluff. Either Fitzy knew he had nothing,
or thought he did, but couldn't get the jurors to swallow it.
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