Posted on 10/29/2005 6:05:53 AM PDT by Liz
MARCH 2, 2001
Lewis Libby, a top Republican lawyer, who is now VP Dick Cheney's chief of staff, told the House Government Reform Committee....that he agreed with much of Bill Clinton's widely discredited op-ed article outlining the former president's reasons for pardoning fugitive tax evader Marc Rich.
In a session that stretched late into the evening, Libby, who represented Rich for several years ending in the spring of 2000, told the committee he believes Rich is not guilty of tax and racketeering charges filed by federal prosecutors in 1983. Libby said he "quite possibly" would have considered applying for a pardon for Rich had Rich asked him to do so.
Libby, who said his law firms collected as much as $2 million for representing Rich, testified he had nothing to do with the application that led to clemency for Rich.
He declined to say whether he approved of the decision to pardon Rich, but he conceded that he called Rich on January 22, two days after the pardon, to "congratulate him on having reached a result that he had sought for a long time." Libby testified he made the call from his home to make clear that he was calling in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of the Bush administration.
In a particularly damaging exchange with Pennsylvania Democrat Paul Kanjorski, Libby agreed that Rich might be characterized as a traitor for fleeing the country and renouncing his American citizenship. Kanjorski asked Libby why he would call a traitor to congratulate him on his good fortune in winning a pardon. Visibly uncomfortable, Libby had no answer.
For Republicans, Libby's testimony was a sour endnote to what had been a long day of revelations that made President Clinton's decision to pardon Rich seem even more inexplicable than previously thought.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
He was somewhat subdued for Conyers. Could be he's trying not to over-play his hand.
Whoever the background people are pushing this agenda they fully realize that Libby is a nothing, just another political hack. A minnow if you will. They are using Libby like John Dean of old.
They have all these commissions and for what, it doesn't matter what comes out of them, nothing ever happens. Its just another way of giving a "crony" a job and make it look like they are doing something important.
I have little patience--with them. But your scenario is the one I'm seeing, too. This op has Hillary's fingerprints all over it.
Look at all of the vicious, hateful statements directed towards him, it does not matter when you assist the DEMS in anything; their party loyalty comes first, look at how they kicked old Lott to the curb, not one of them came to his defense, after he was one the main ones defending slick willy against impeachment. They will never learn family comes first and blood is always thicker than water. I hope GOP'ers will remember that next time they kiss up to the MSM esp.
I wonder when we will start hearing the tapes? Dan Rather is gone but it seems like it would be pretty easy to "find" a recording with Libby talking about the WH plot to get Wilson/Plame.
Is Conyers smart enough not to over-play his hand?
Why Mr. Libby should be opposed to the idea of pardon? He might need it.
I cannot believe that such intelligent people in Bush White House were stupid enough to chat off the record with evil MSM that are tying to get them. They were arrogant enough to believe they were using the media. That never happens.
So why did Cheney want him? Why did Cheney put another traitor on his staff, the wife of James Carville?
This is a RINO administration.
Not quite. Libby was the remaining leader in PNAC in the administration after Wolfowitz and Feith left. Lots of people are after PNAC. That is also the Cheney tie-in.
Well, like the people who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, Conyers couldn't pull off not overplaying his hand, and not tipping his hand at the same time. With great difficulty, he could sort of accomplish one, but not the other.
<< WOW!! Makes you wonder, it looks like ALL these politicians are in bed together. >>
Stop wondering.
Think "oligarchy."
[Their every above-middle-management employee would be forever imprisoned were General Motors and Ford to form such a cartel and/or to conspire to defraud as do the political parties]
On another thread see his DEMOCRAT ties.
Amen
I heard him this morning too, and he sounded very measured for him. In fact, I had to look twice to see who was speaking. Wierd. Maybe he was out celebrating.
WOW...I am always learning something from ya'll. Scooter is a lawyer & we know about lawyers don't we!!
You got that right.
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