...and a whole lot of lying!
Posted on 10/24/2005 1:16:10 PM PDT by churchillbuff
As the White House and Republicans brace for possible indictments in the CIA leak probe, defenders have launched a not-so-subtle campaign against the prosecutor handling the case. "He's a vile, detestable, moralistic person with no heart and no conscience who believes he's been tapped by God to do very important things," one White House ally said, referring to special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald was tapped nearly two years ago to find out whether anyone in the White House broke a federal law by blowing the cover of CIA operative Valerie Plame after her husband, Joseph Wilson, debunked administration claims about Saddam Hussein's nuclear activities.
President Bush recently praised Fitzgerald on NBC's "Today" show, saying: "The special prosecutor is conducting a very serious investigation. He's doing it in a very dignified way, by the way, and we'll see what he says."
But now friends of the White House have started whispering that the Brooklyn-raised prosecutor is overzealous after it became clear that Bush political mastermind Karl Rove and Vice President Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, are in Fitzgerald's cross hairs.
Such hints surfaced publicly for the first time yesterday when Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), armed with comments that sources said were "shaped" by the White House, suggested Fitzgerald might nail someone on a "technicality" because they forgot something or misspoke.
"I certainly hope that if there is going to be an indictment ... it is an indictment on a crime and not some perjury technicality where they couldn't indict on the crime, and so they go to something just to show that their two years of investigation was not a waste," Hutchison said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
Fitzgerald was first tasked with finding the Plame leaker, but his mandate expanded to include counts of perjury, obstruction of justice, intimidation of witnesses or destruction of evidence, should anyone undermine his probe.
There were several reports yesterday that Fitzgerald could warn people they've been indicted as soon as today, and that the grand jury could be called in for an unusual session tomorrow, but his office declined to comment.
I am confident that Fitzgerald will do the right thing here.
Like others, I wonder who this White House "ally" is.
In general terms, if someone lied to the prosecutor, he needs to go. They are all big boys, and they know the rules.
On the other hand, if it is as some have said, and its a matter of a forgotten conversation which has been voluntarily reported, then an indictment will be an injustice. If, if, that is the case, then such an indictment should be fought in court, and it will be beaten. And the prosecutor will look like a fool before its over.
This does not take anything away from Wilson/Plame. Wilson has transparently lied almost every time he has opened his mouth or put pen to paper, and I am disturbed that he has so far gotten by with it.
The Niger Affair is worth some serious journalistic effort, but no serious journalist has been inspired to pick away at the scabs on this story. I would have liked for a prosecutor to have burrowed into this affair, and gotten to the bottom of it, but it seem unlikely thats going to happen. There is a big story at the bottom of this well, but no one is interested.
re: rushmom
How would someone who is only a member since 2002 know how you felt, or what you argued during impeachment? ;)
Chicago rules. "You send LIbby and Rove to the hospital, we send Kennedy and Clinton to the morgue."
This article tells me whatever sources are speaking (if they are, and I have serious doubts about that) are saying there won't be anything out of this investigation. Hence the article as cover to say "Bush's goons intimidated the SC and that's why he didn't bring indictments."
A gross lie.
If it posts like a troll, and whines like a troll, well...
...and a whole lot of lying!
No one is talking about the activities of Brewster Jennings.
What exactly were they doing.
I'm a New Yorker.
Fitzgerald is from Brooklyn.
I know men like him.
I can not use the adjectives in my extensive vocabulary to describe him if what I hear he may do is true.
I will not assume the bent over position for libs with an agenda.
62 MILLION VOTERS DID NOT DISAPPEAR OVERNIGHT.
TARGET ONE, YOU TARGET US ALL.
EXPECT A FIGHT.
Trolls don't have 20 MILLION weekly radio listeners.
Trolls do not have 20 MILLION who can get 2 more to the polls at election time.
62 MILLION
I think Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame are the ones that should be indicted. That being said......I have to agree with you. If Rove or Libby lied under oath they should be indicted for perjury. My guess is that Bush will be dragged into this by the liberals and it will ultimately be his undoing.
It's people like you that have been keeping me away from this once great forum.
The whole purpose of this forum is to discuss news items as they appear. You obviously do not posess the brain power to join in in any intelligent or interested way.
Try holding your venemous - acid tongue little boy, till you grow up and learn to speak like an adult.
As evidence for the WH smear campaign against Fitz, the reporter came up with one quote of Bush praising Fitz, the Hutchinson quote exressing a mild concern that Fitz might indict on a flimsy second-tier charge, and a very dubious and possibly made-up quote from an unidentified "White House ally." So the only evidence for the WH smear campaign is the one unattributed quote from someone who isn't even in the WH!!
Any liberal who demands protection for the CIA and convictions on perjury or obstruction is a HYPOCRITE.
It's amazing how these liberal Bin-Laden supporters continue to show more hatred for President Bush than terrorists.
Bin Laden must be glad he has so many liberal American allies.
I cannot imagine W pardoning anyone on his own side.
I would be very surprised that this quote came from someone in the CURRENT White House. More likely, it's from an Clintonite looking for a way to stir the pot. And with a Daily News reporter eager and probably asking for or writing the quote.
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