Posted on 10/28/2005 10:34:37 AM PDT by ex-Texan
Lewis Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, was charged Friday with lying to a grand jury during an investigation of possible intelligence leaks by members of the Bush administration.
A five-count indictment unsealed Friday by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald charged only Libby -- it did not name Karl Rove, a key political adviser to President Bush and his assistant chief of staff. Prosecutors reportedly told Rove o Thursday that while he wouldn't face immediate charges, he is still under investigation.
The five counts included one of obstruction of justice, two of perjury and two of making false statements to a grand jury.
Libby was charged after a two-year investigation into how reporters came to know that Valerie Plame, the wife of a congressional opponent of the Iraq war, was a CIA operative. Administration critics have suggested her name was leaked as part of a broader campaign to discredit the war's opposition.
White House officials reportedly accepted Libby's resignation after the indictment was unsealed.
Fitzgerald was appointed in December 2003 by the attorney general's office to investigate the circumstances under which Plame's name was disseminated. Published reports said a focus of the probe quickly became the truthfulness of statements made by witnesses testifying before the grand jury.
The charges against Libby pertain to his account of how he first learned Plame's identify. Reportedly, Libby told he grand jury that he learned of it during discussions with reporters, while notes he provided Fitzgerald suggest that Cheney was in fact the source of the information.
Columnist Robert Novak identified Plame in a column on July 14, 2003.
Friday's news caps an eventful week for the Bush administration. On Thursday, Harriet Miers withdrew her name from consideration for the Supreme Court vacancy created by Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement.
It's a horeshit indictment. If I were Bush, I would issue a full pardon this afternoon and tell Pitzwater to 'Go to Hell'.
While all this hoo-hah is going on, we've had the Foreign Minister (ie, Chief Diplomat) of a budding nuclear power (Iran) pledging (in his best diplomatic language) to wipe another country (Israel) off the map, with the backing of the clownish new president of Iran. Which has more significance for our future?
Save the Country
Pardon Libby
It is funny to see the MSM and dems. They wanted this indictment to be about the original charge. They are reciting their talking points as if the indictment is about lying in the run up to the Iraq War. They look silly, but then again, they have no idea of how they are viewed.
Wait and see . . . Just wait and see. Of course, there are potential "conspiracy to obstruct justice" issues to investigate. A conspiracy may consist of two or more people who agree to engage in illegal activity. Libby is, after all, only an aide. Aides typically take orders and do not make policy.
What specific act was Libby charged under Section 1503?
I don't get it, shouldn't we find out what the evidence is and if Libby did something wrong or not before we start asking for a presidential pardon? I thought that we were trying to support the rule of law here, not subvert it based on a political opinion. Aren't we supposed to be the party that respects and upholds the law?
Libby outed valerie flame? Was she a he when she/he was under the covers with slimey, smarmy joey girl. Was joey a girl before he was a boy? Did joey eat any yellow cake with his green sweet tea? Is bob novak still alive? Does he remember to change his depends {weekly}? So many questions and the grand jury is over today. What to do, what to do? Borrow a grand jury from ronnie earle? I'm sure he has a couple stashed in austin.
Charge Cheney with what? There was no underlying crime, just a cover up. So long as Cheney did not tell him to lie, there is no case against Cheney.
And since the allegations of lying all related to what Libby told the jury of his conversations with the reporters, I don't see why Cheney would have anything to do with it.
1503 is obstruction.
Libby should take this case to verdict with no deals. If convicted in a D.C. kangaroo court Bush should pardon him.
Do you really believe this lacky did anything he wasn't told to do? It's better to be indicted than dead.
>>While all this hoo-hah is going on, we've had the Foreign Minister (ie, Chief Diplomat) of a budding nuclear power (Iran) pledging (in his best diplomatic language) to wipe another country (Israel) off the map, with the backing of the clownish new president of Iran. Which has more significance for our future?<<
Amen!
And the Vatican just condemned Iran. We are on the brink of a nuclear fight.
We've got bigger things to worry about and the MSM is ignoring them.
You are losing it...
>>I don't get it, shouldn't we find out what the evidence is and if Libby did something wrong or not before we start asking for a presidential pardon? I thought that we were trying to support the rule of law here, not subvert it based on a political opinion. Aren't we supposed to be the party that respects and upholds the law?<<
Welcome to FR.
Rush agrees with you and so do I.
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