AND YES, THERE'S MORE
10:21
First, I want to remind you what Wells said about Russert. "I do not contend ANY of them are lying. He makes clear Russert one of the most respected reporters in US. I'm not arguing now that anyone is telling intentional lies." That's what he told you in opening. Then, in cross, for 5.5 hours, Wells tries to suggest to you that Russert IS lying, lying because he's trying so hard to go into GJ, lure of being deposed in lawyer's off is so great. And also lying, Wells said, bc of feud with VP's office. First recall about what Libby said in GJ. He referred to Russert 3 dozen times. You can read it, but I suspect your memory will remember those 3 dozen. He testified not that he thought it was LIKELY he learned of it from Russert, he was unequivocal, he remembers what he was thinking, he remembers what he was feeling, how it struck him, that Russert thought this info was important. Want to play a piece of that conversation. This very first clip is language charged in indictment.
Walton: You've consumed 59 minutes of your time.
[Plays Libby tape: Did you know that Wilson's wife worked at CIA. I was taken aback by it. I said no, I don't know that. Intentionally, bc I didn't want him to take anything as confirming what I said. I thought this was something he was telling me that I was first learning. I wanted to make sure I didn't confirm with him. I reminded him, Tim, off the record. Russert said to me, did you know Wilson's wife CIA. Then he said, "all the reporters know it." I said, I don't know that. Wanted to be sure I wasn't confirming anything. Struck by what he was saying. Didn't ask anything more, didn't want to be digging in on him. Then we finished conversation. F Why so surprised? L I was surprised that he knew it, and I didn't. Russert is one of the best of the newsmen, one of the most substantive of the newspeople, not only did he know it and I didn't, but also that he thought it was important.]
Ladies and Gentlemen, you now know that was made up. Russert took stand, remembered conversation. Had never received phone call from high govt official. Swearing. He's watching hardball, monitoring what's happening. Russert has clear recollection of this conversation. Russert never talked to him about . It never happened. Russert didn't know about Wilson's wife. He read about it in newspaper in column on July 14, same way Sanger, Kessler learned of it, they read it in newspaper. That conversation never happened. Now, Wells wants to suggest to you that Russert is fabricating, that he's saying he's certain when he's not. Lets just talk about motives.
I'm going to next thread
BEGINNING OF NEXT THREAD, SUMMATION CONTINES (remember, they have set aside several hours for this)
Zeidenberg
Russert treated exactly same as Woodward, Kessler, Pincus. Why would the lure of this be so great with Russert, but Woodward, Kessler and Pincus could resist. BC of feud? Bad blood? You'd have to believe that when Russert got call from Eckenrode, and he told Russert that Libby said Russert told him, that would have been his chance to stick it to Libby. He'd have to continue that lie. Evidence of the feud is completely absent from Trial. Wouldn't you think that Libby would have known about the bad blood when he went before GJ? Woudln't you think that Martin who said Russert was [an easy mark]? It's a sign of how desperate the defense is to discredit Russert that they would even suggest such a thing.He doesn't remember any of those other conversations. But this one, he says he remembers it perfect.
What's next. Cooper.
You remember COoper said at end of conversation. He said What have you heard about Wilson's wife sending him on the trip. Libby's response, "yeah, I've heard about that." Wells suggested that differences between LIbby's version and Cooper's version, is just difference between a few words. Cooper said, I heard that too. And Libby said, I heard that too, but I don't know if it's true? But is that the evidence in the case. Do you remember what Libby ACTUALLY said what occurred in that conversation? I'd like to play portion of what Libby said he said to Cooper.
Libby, then Cooper said, why did Wilson say it?
[Libby's GJ tape: I would have thought, off the record, that CIA wouldn't tell, who asked about it. Conversation VP has is supposed to be confidential. THey'd have said that CIA tried to do it. I wouldn't have thought that he heard this, but if it's possible he heard something unofficially, it was wrong. In that context, I said, off the record, reporters telling us that Amb Wilson's wife works at CIA. I don't know if true. But if it's true, it may explain why Wilson got some bad information at agency.]
By anybody's count, that is not a few words. By any account, that is not what Cooper said Libby said. He never told Cooper, I don't know if it's true. It's made up, made up out of whole cloth. Ladies and gentleman, Cooper could never have taked as confirmation the things Libby had told him. Cooper took this as confirmation. How could he have taken it as confirmation?
Mr Cooper corroborated by Cathie Martin. Martin was present. She never heard ANY Of what you heard Libby just hear it. She never heard, "I don't know if it's true." If she had heard it, she would have said something, because SHE knew it was true. Finally you heard from Cooper that this was a conversation that kept playing through his head. It was significant. Confirmation for a story that got a lot of attention. He is sure about what he testified. No reason he would say it if he weren't sure.
10:38
(I have to make a phone call. This thing is going to get away from me.)