Latest twist in Cheney scandal

sundaytimes.co.za ^

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Since when is it a "Cheney Scandal"????

Since when was Plame "covert"?

[pepperhead]

Good God, can the press get any stupidier?

Do need a answer for that?;)

[liberty_lvr]

Good God, can the press get any stupidier?

Yes.

[petercooper]

BIGTIME - 2008!

[SirLinksalot]

Tom Mcguire has been on top of this case since the beginning and posts blog after blog after blog regarding the day by day ins and outs of the case.

Based on his observation, here are his fearless predictions... Take it for what its worth.

---

Better To Be Wrong Than Gutless

If my blog hosting service is willing, I will post my *PURELY SPECULATIVE* guesses in the Plame leak investigation:

Karl Rove walks - no indictment, nada. Jeralyn Merritt, who has been doing a superb job on this, keeps the flame flickering for a "False statements" charge based on Rove's early forgettery of his conversation with Matt Cooper of TIME. Based on the evidence leaked so far, it won't happen.

Think back to the controversial Martha Stewart case: Martha went down on a false statements charge, but as supporting evidence of her criminal intent the prosecution had evidence that she may have altered her records, supplemented by troubling testimony from her broker's assistant and a personal friend.

With Rove, as best we know, we have Karl failing to recall his conversation with Matt Cooper when asked by Federal investigators in 2003; the defense will have fun with the fact that the Department of Justice failed to ask about contacts with Matt Cooper in their original document request, so let's not underestimate Mike Copper Matt Cooper's forgettability.

Eventually, in response to a second set of subpoenas, the relevant email between Rove and Hadley was found, Rove's attorney notified the Special Counsel, and Rove corrected his testimony. Based on the leaks so far, this is far from a Martha Stewart scenario.

OK, on to the fall guys:

John Hannah had CIA links, so he can't convincingly plead ignorance about Ms. Plame's status. He gets a wrist slap for misuse of classified information. (Q: Does a "wrist slap" mean "no jail time", or "short time"? A: Hmm, even "short" would seem long to me; no waffling here... No jail time it is. And get your own 8-Ball). Hannah's offense - he was Novak's primary source.

David Wurmser also has CIA links, and he gets a wrist slap for leaking to Walter Pincus of the WaPo.

And Libby? He goes to trial, or walks. My full psychic prediction is that he will turn down a plea deal (after negotiating about what might have been disclosed in the accompanying indictment) and say to Fitzgerald, "Bring it on, Irish".

*If* they are filed, charges will be perjury and obstruction, as well as a conspiracy to misuse classified info. However, Fitzgerald has very serious doubts about some of his star witnesses, such as Judy Miller. Both sides are weighing the implications of the venue for a trial - Libby knows it won't be Berkeley, but it still might not be favorable for him. However, it might be politically awkward for Libby to ask for a change in venue. Of course, getting tossed into stir can be awkward, too.

No waffling: Libby goes to trial. The good news with this scenario is that otherwise, we will never know what the heck happened. Libby better plan to win, or lose, by Jan 19, 2009.

Final predictions - today is Wednesday, and if the Astros win the Series they will need seven games. There - I can't be all wrong.

[Graycliff]

The real scandal here may involve Tokin Joe Wilson, his wife and The Italians.
Remember Tokin Joe saying the document was a fraud? How in the hell would he know that when he admitted he had never seen it. Now we have an Italian court saying the document was a deliberate forgery planted for the soul purpose of undermining the Brits and the Americans

[sinkspur]

CNN just reported that it's unlikely any indictments, announcements, or other actions, will be coming today.

It appears that Fitz is still digging around for evidence.

Rather than a "thorough" investigator, he looks rather inept, to me.

[Brilliant]

My bet is that Libby is indicted for obstruction, and pleads guilty to a misdemeanor. Wilson too. Rove walks.

[absolootezer0]

"Well Dick Cheney might have told Libby, but Dick cheney got it from Tenet"

and there's this quote.. "Knowingly outing a covert operative is a crime in the United States." at what point does it go from knowingly divulging info to unknowingly? if tenet told cheney that wilson's wife worked for the cia, but didn't mention she was covert, is it tenet's fault for not mentioning she was covert, or cheney's fault for not investigating it before passing info? common sense would say tenet, msm would say cheney.
also, would the advantages outweigh the disadvantages if cheney were impeached? bush could appoint rice (or allen, or pence) as VP and give whomever a head start on an '08 presidential bid.

[babaloo]

If Fitz wants more time, who has to approve?

[sinkspur]

He has to convene a new Grand Jury. My understanding is that these GJ terms are hard and fast.

[roses of sharon]

Liberal media infection has taken hold, he must have ignored the initial signs of the rash.

[MurryMom]

If one of the Wilson neighbors had a clue before June 2003 that Valerie worked for the CIA, don't you think the Republican scandal machine would have blabbed about it by now? The Republicans are well known for promoting their wet dreams as supported by facts. Don't forget, some of these Republican politicians are the same people who want creationism to be taught as accepted scientific theory in our public schools.

[Sacajaweau]

Who the hell knows how we got back to "it's Cheney"? I have no doubt that that the Dems wanted this little scheme to "take down Rove" (before Hillary's run). According to a recent statement by Bubba, (in my own words) If they could get rid of Rove, they could get back the Whitehouse.

The bottom line in all this is: If the Clinton Whitehouse had all kinds of info on Saddam and his WMD and passed it on to Bush, do we just discount it? If the Clinton House "hides" denys info, like "Able Danger" from the Bush administration and finds it a couple of days after 9-11, where does that leave us?

I'm going to make a big prediction. If there is no indictment against the Whitehouse, and particularly Rove, Hillary will announce that she will NOT run for the Senate in New York....that she can do more for the country as a National party leader, blah, blah, blah. In other words, all her time will be spent campaigning for 2008.

[airborne]

Rather than a "thorough" investigator, he looks rather inept, to me.

Waiting 2 years to question the neighbors make me think the same thing.

[MurryMom]

Final predictions - today is Wednesday, and if the Astros win the Series they will need seven games. There - I can't be all wrong.

2 out of 3 ain't all that bad!

[SirLinksalot]

<<<
Wilson too
>>>>

Are you talking about Joe Wilson ?

Is he under investigation ? Was he even called to testify ?

It would be ironic that the husband gets indicted for trying to "defend" his wife.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

What Cheney scandal?

[dead]

Do you think there's alot of "undercover" CIA agents who park in the CIA employee parking lot everyday?

[CaptRon]

WHAT Cheney scandal!?!?!?!