STILL MORE:
1:51
W To what extent was your long-standing relationship with him factor into the fact that you took that as confirmation.
RN I knew when he was confirming something. When he said "oh you know that too" I took that as confirmation.
W I want to go to your conversations with Libby. Did you also speak with Libby.
RN Yessir.
W Relationship with Libby.
RN I had never had contact until election of VP Cheney in 2000 [interesting way to describe that!]. I asked him out to lunch, a couple of social events, I went to his book party, I called him a couple of three times during that year, that was about the extent of it.
W Introduces his phone bill.
RN What was the question?
W Describe to jurors
RN Phone record of phoned in call from my number in Washington at 4:46 PM on July 8 to Mr. Libby's office at WH.
W Going through phone number. It says Inside.
RN That's the name of my column.
W How do you know that shows you call.
RN It's like an eye test.
W magnifies it. Walton points out that it's in front of him on a screen.
RN That says one minute, I didn't talk to him for one minute. I asked for him, and he was unavailable.–they took a message.
RN I believe he returned call on July 9.
W Describe your recollection of your conversation.
RN I was trying to find out more information about Wilson's mission to Niger and VP's connection. Most memorable about call, I asked Libby if he might be helpful to me in establishing timeline in 16 words. When they came in, who proposed it, sort of a consecutive account that I could put in column. I interpreted him as saying he could be helpful.
W In context of talking to Libby did Wilson's wife come up.
RN I don't remember exactly, I might have raised that question, I got no help, and no confirmation on that issue. The reason I'm fuzzy is that I talk to a lot of people in govt an politics everyday and a lot of them are not very helpful and I discard unhelpful conversations in my memory bank.
W You have a clear recollection he gave you no info about it.
RN I'm sure he gave be no info about it.
W You might have asked if he knew that "the wife" worked at the CIA.
W Timeline, on July 8 you talked to Armi, then July 9, you talked to Rove, and also on July 9 you talked to Libby.
RN I'm not positive about the Rove conversation, I'm not positive about whether it was 8th or 9th.
W Back to Novak's column
THIS NEXT BIT MIGHT BE INTERESTING (haven't read it all yet) AS THERE ARE SOME OBJECTIONS AND SOME OVERRULLINGS GOING ON:
1:59
W Paragraph says CIA said counterproliferation sent him. Is it fair to say CIA said that.
Fitz Objection
Sidebar.
Novak with hand on chin, looking at screen.
Now sitting back, making his big grumpy frowning face. Puts on his glasses to get started again.
W: I want to see the front of the article. The date. Apparently there is no date.
W The article says Chicago Sun Times, July 14, 2003.
W When did you write your July 14 column
RN [voice slips] The morning of Friday July 11.
W After you wrote it, what did you do?
RN Immediately after finishing it, it was emailed to syndicate.
W What is it
RN Syndicate, sells these to indiv newspapers. An editor goes over it, after a while, calls me back, we discuss further changes I might want to make, changes the editor wants to make. Then in final version, is given to AP for distribution to clients who buy my column. Over 100 newspapers buy it.
W Based on your understanding, when 100 newspapers given column.
Fitz Objection sustained.
W Understanding of how it is distributed.
F Objection, incompetence.
Walton: how do you know?
RN I've been a columnist for 40-some years.
Walton: Overruled
RN Given to AP, it distributes to newspapers that buy it.
W When column given to over 100 newspapers
Fitz: objection
Walton: You don't know specifically what happened.
W With respect to usual pattern,
RN as soon as column is cleared, it is immediately given to AP it's on the wires within an hour.
W Usual practice, when would have it been on the wire.
Fitz Objection
Walton Sustained.
W WRT usual process, after you wrote article, what time on wire?
RN It depends on when I got it to the syndicate. My recollection is since I had busy afternoon, I wanted to finish it before noon, editing before 1, following usual practice it would have gone on immediately thereafter.
W Once it's on the wire, can they print it.
RN It is what is called an embargo, it is not to be printed until Monday morning's newspapers.
W Are people in newsroom permitted to review it.
RN All they have to do is look at it.
W No further questions