The Meeting (Scooter Libby and Judy Miller met on July 8, 2003)

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=10077 ^

[kcvl]

The Meeting

Scooter Libby and Judy Miller met on July 8, 2003, two days after Joe Wilson published his column. And Patrick Fitzgerald is very interested.

By Murray Waas Web Exclusive: 08.06.05

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, has told federal investigators that he met with New York Times reporter Judith Miller on July 8, 2003, and discussed CIA operative Valerie Plame, according to legal sources familiar with Libby's account.

The meeting between Libby and Miller has been a central focus of the investigation by special prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald as to whether any Bush administration official broke the law by unmasking Plame's identity or relied on classified information to discredit former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson, according to sources close to the case as well as documents filed in federal court by Fitzgerald.

The meeting took place in Washington, D.C., six days before columnist Robert Novak wrote his now-infamous column unmasking Plame as a "CIA operative." Although little noticed at the time, Novak's column would cause the appointment of a special prosecutor, ultimately place in potential legal jeopardy senior advisers to the president of the United States, and lead to the jailing of a New York Times reporter.

The meeting between Libby and Miller also occurred during a week of intense activity by Libby and White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove aimed at discrediting Plame's husband, Wilson, who on July 6, 2003, had gone public in a New York Times opinion piece with allegations that the Bush administration was misrepresenting intelligence information to make the case to go to war with Iraq.

[Poser]

And all this time I thought it was Karl Rove! Scooter who?

[samantha]

This sounds to me like Judith Miller was the one that told Scooter about Valerie Plame, Why would Miller go to Jail to protective Libby? She did not, she is protecting herself.

[Cautor]

This information is consistent with Wilson being the original "leaker" and Miller following up with her contacts. This certainly doesn't implicate anyone from the White House staff. The waiver Miller has is totally comprehensive so she could testify from the Libby angle. But she's shielding herself and/or some other Democrap pals. This story--from a confirmed leftist--should be exciting only to those who get the KoolAid from KOS or Dummy Underground.

[STARWISE]

I DO NOT believe Fitzgerald's office leaks at all .. I'd bet it's the attorneys who represent the questioned.

[okie01]

This pretty much confirms that Fitzgerald is still going after Administration figures and not Wilson/Plame or the CIA. He's no friend of the GOP, folks.

That's certainly what Murray Waas wants you to think, at least.

[Buckhead]

Two things:

1. The general/personal waiver distinction doesn't make much sense to me. Pincus and Russert thought the general waiver was fine. Cooper at first said he needed a personal waiver. He claims to have gotten one at the last minute, but all he really got was a reiteration of the general waiver, so he's just blowing smoke. As for the element of coercion, why would a personal waiver ordered by Pres. Bush be any less coerced than the general waiver that's already on the table?

2. Have Valerie Plame or Joe Wilson given either general or specific waivers to reporters? Has anyone asked them that?

[Cautor]

My opinion--informed by my training as an attorney--is that there is no distinction. IMO, Cooper created one simply to make it look as if his decision to talk to the grand jury was prompted by something "new" he had received. It was not. I have not seen anything about the Plame-Wilsons being asked to provide a waiver or being offered one. There seems to be much the media is unwilling to discuss.

[twntaipan]

Somewhere there exists a pictographic dictionary which has the word "Dork" with this guy's picture beside it.